Harry Potter and the Chance to Change Fate
by LoveEvangeline
Summary: Starts out at the end of POA. After Harry has a visit from his parents, and he finds out that things aren't as they seem. He, Ginny, and Hermione set out to save Sirius, and change fate. Rated T for now, M for later in the story. Manipulative Dumbledore! Independent Harry! Firmly Harry x Ginny.
1. Chapter 1- The Great Escape

Picks up at the end of POA, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in the Hospital Wing and Sirius is about to be Kissed, steals some dialogue from the book, stolen dialogue still belongs to JK of course, and is in bold. Obviously, and unfortunately, I don't own the Harry Potter verse, and I'm making no profit off of this venture.

*This chapter has been edited from its original version. Only minor, non-plot related changes were made*

Prologue: The Third Prophecy

"_**It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight...the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his Master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever he was. Tonight...before midnight...the servant will set out...to rejoin...his Master..."**_

Chapter One: The Great Escape

Harry was floating in darkness, he felt warm and safe, but there was something he was supposed to do? What was he missing? He felt as if he should be panicking about something, but whatever it was, it was far beyond the darkness, and Harry wasn't ready to wake up yet. He drifted, then paused, he thought he heard something? Someone was calling his name, but who? He pushed toward the soft sound, or maybe it was pushing toward him? They, no, _she_ was getting louder, closer.

"Harry? Harry my love, come here, we must talk." He whirled in the darkness, towards a light mist where he could make out a figure. He pushed closer, faster, the voice spurring him on. It sounded hauntingly familiar, like something he'd heard in a dream. As he approached, his heart leapt to his throat, a feeling of giddiness surged through him; that was his mum! And behind her, his dad!

"Mum! Dad! Where are we?" He said, finally close enough to see them properly. He reached out to them, but his hands didn't seem to quite make contact, as if there was water between them, keeping them separate.

"We're in your subconscious, we can't touch here, son. I'm sorry, but we haven't much time. There's much we must tell you, and you have much you need to be doing. Harry, Fate has not been kind to you, but Choice is trying to even the playing field. You're an extraordinary wizard, but there is much keeping you from your Destiny."

"What do you mean…Dad?" He choked out.

"For one, I wish Necromancy wasn't so sodding evil, I'd like to come back and hex Dumbledore and Pomfrey for not removing the magical binding on you. I don't know why they haven't scanned for one, or if they did, why it's not removed." Lily cut off James with a glare, then took over for her husband.

"Don't worry Harry, part of why we're here is to remove the binding so you'll come into your entire power as it currently is. Of course you won't receive your full powers until you come of age, but there's nothing we can do about that. What we _can_ do however, is give you as much advice as we can before you must go. Harry, listen closely, you must use your head! Think about the power you have and how best to wield it. You have to make the right Choices." Harry's brow furrowed, but before he could express his confusion, she shouldered on. "Harry, baby, I know you hate your fame, but your fame is quite useful. The world will listen to the Boy-Who-Lived, and that can help you right now. Sirius is about to be Kissed and without Peter, there's no way to exonerate him in the current political climate. When you go back you must work to rescue Sirius and hide him out until you can capture Peter and have him put on trial. Your friend, Hermione, has a Time Turner—"

"A what?" Harry's bewilderment finally broke through, as he interrupted his mother. He was in utter awe of them, his eyes kept flickering over their features, and he struggled to pay attention to what he was being told.

"A Time Turner," James started to explain "is a very powerful magical object that can take you back into the past, usually just a few hours, the limit on how far you can go is based on magical power, theoretically you _can_ go back many years, but the effort would exhaust you, perhaps even turn you into a Squib—" Lily cut him off again with a glare.

"—anyway, what you need to do as soon as you wake up is go back to earlier tonight and free Sirius, and then catch Peter! Fudge is unreasonable; you don't want to risk Sirius's life on that man doing his job for once. But Harry, messing with time is extremely dangerous; I can't fathom why they gave a teenager a Time Turner to be quite honest. You cannot be seen, no matter what! After you have Peter, stun him, don't worry about how, you'll know how, and put him in an unbreakable container. Then, get Sirius to go to Black Manor. He'll fight you, but he has to. It's incredibly safe, and he can then take up the mantle of Lord Black. He was never fully disinherited, so it'll work. For there, he'll know what to do."

Harry stared at his Mum, not fully comprehending all she had said. "What do you mean 'I'll know how'?" he asked.

"Before you go, we'll impart some knowledge to you, how much we can give you is limited on how much time we have left after we've explained everything, so please try and keep up. I know this is hard, but we have to prepare you for what's to come. After Sirius is safe, contact Amelia Bones, she's the head of the Aurors. She's fair and thorough. Tell her that you have a Death Eater captured, but you want to be sure that proper protocol will be upheld before he's handed over. Get her assurance on a proper trial. Have Sirius use his influence as Lord Black, to get his wrongful imprisonment investigated, and you use yours to get Bones to cooperate. Do you understand?" He nodded, numbly, still soaking in her warm eyes, and his Dad's loving smile.

"Harry, there's more. Dumbledore isn't being honest with you, and you must find out the truth, prepare for the future, and escape from under his control. He's not a bad man, but he's held too much power for too long, and he's terrified of anyone finding out his secrets. He feels that he alone is wise enough to guide the Wizarding world. I could go on, but that's not the point. Harry, as soon as Sirius is exonerated have him quietly put in motion getting you into his custody, then have him adopt you as soon as you can. Do everything you can to keep it quiet. You must get away from the Dursley's; I'd like to have a strong word with Dumbledore over your placement there." Harry's eyes welled at his mother's fierce concern, it was so unlike anything he has encountered before. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and nodded.

"Okay, use my influence, check. Lord Black, check. Don't trust Dumbledore, check. Time turner, check." He tried to keep the wealth of information straight in his mind, concentrating on what he needed to do. The idea that Dumbledore perhaps didn't have his best interests at heart hurt, but he couldn't focus on that yet.

"There are a few more things, but we're almost out of time. Harry, have Sirius check for prophecies about you in the Department of Mysteries. Help Sirius heal from his time in Azkaban. Get the Ministry on your side; get them to acknowledge that Voldemort's not dead. Have your scar looked at by a proper private healer. And most of all, Harry, open yourself up to love, to Sirius and Remus and your friends." His mum's hands clutched at empty air as she finished talking.

"Harry we love you, you're so brave and we're so proud of you. Do your best, son." His dad beamed at him, and Harry beamed back, basking in the love and praise.

His attention was drawn back to Lily, her expression was one of anguish. "Oh no Harry, I'm so sorry, but this is it. We're going to give you what we can now, and it's going to hurt. It wouldn't normally, but what's in your scar is going to fight it, I'm so sorry baby."

"But," Harry's head was spinning. "What about the binding?" he asked, desperate to keep them there a moment longer.

"You shouldn't feel that, son, but you're going to have much more power than you're used to, You're going to have to be careful with your magic for a while. I love you so much, Harry, I can't say that enough. Goodbye, and don't let us see you again 'till you've lived a long good life, you hear?" His father told him.

His chest tightened with anxiety, as his parents both lifted hands, and pushed through the water-like barrier. Their faces seemed pained, as bright silvery lights erupted from their skin in strange wisps. The wisps reached towards him and began to wrap around him. They felt warm, but as they made their way under his skin, racing through his veins towards his skull, they began to feel too hot, almost burning. Then, they reached his scar, and they turned to flame, his head felt like it was being incinerated, his body racked with pain as new information flooded his brain— "Accio, a spell to bring things to you, the wand movement begins with….Portkeys, an enchanted object that can move multiple people and objects through space, incantation, Portus…Plant Singing, the art of utilizing a combination of song and magic to grow a living thing, mainly utilized….Merpeople, highly intelligent beings that have many different races and pursue the knowledge of…" The knowledge was overwhelming, it was several years of learning pushed into a few seconds, he barely understood many of the words the echoed in his mind, must less their implications. Then, with a distance cry, the burning ended and his parents faded, leaving him alone. The loneliness tore through him, and his heart ached as he begged for them to come back. His head pulsed with pain, as he became aware of voices, coming not from the blackness, but beyond it.

"**Black had bewitched them, I saw it immediately. A Confundus Charm…high opinion of themselves**…" Snape's voice sneered somewhere nearby. He opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. In the bed next to him, Hermione quickly held a finger up to her lips, and gestured to the open Hospital Wing door. Through his blurry vision he made out a shape that might have been Madam Pomfrey down at the other end of the ward. Fudge and Snape continued their conversation.

"**What amazes me most is the behaviour of the dementors…you've really no idea what made them retreat, Snape**?"

"**No, Minister, by the time I had come 'round they were heading back to their positions at the entrances**…"

"**Extraordinary. And yet Black and Harry, and the girl—"**

"**All unconscious by the time I reached them. I bound and gagged Black, naturally, conjured stretchers, and brought them all straight back to the castle."**

Pomfrey took that moment to notice Harry's opened eyes. **"Ah, you're awake!"** she said briskly. She placed a large brick on chocolate of Harry's bedside table and began breaking it apart with a small hammer.

"**How's Ron?"** said Harry and Hermione together.

"He's fine, I mended his leg right up, but he got a dose of Skele-gro to be sure. As for you two— **Potter, what do you think you're doing**?"

Harry had his glasses on and was swinging his legs around to get out of the bed.

"I need to speak to the Minister and the Headmaster" he said firmly.

"**Potter**," said Madam Pomfrey soothingly, "**it's all right. They've got Black. He's locked away upstairs. The dementors will be performing the Kiss any moment now."**

"Then it certainly is not all right!" He replied firmly. "I am not confunded! They've got the wrong man and they're not even going to give Sirius a trial!" He shoved past her, hurrying towards the door, Hermione on his heels.

"**Harry, Harry, what's this?"** said Fudge, looking agitated as he walked into the ward. "**You should be in bed — has he had any chocolate**? He asked Madam Pomfrey anxiously.

"**Minister, listen**!" Harry said. "As crazy as it sounds, Sirius Black is innocent, and how would you know otherwise, since you didn't give him a trial? How would the public react to the Ministry giving people the Kiss without a trial? Hmm?" Harry implored. The Minister and Snape were both gaping at him, but he continued. "I bet the Prophet wouldn't be too pleased about that? You _have_ to give him a fair trial!"

"He's telling the truth Minister! Just listen to us for a moment! You must!" Hermione chimed in.

Fudge puffed up, "Now see here you two, I mustn't do _anything_. This entire ordeal has been incredibly embarrassing let me tell you, no, no, it's much better that we deal with it now, I mean everyone knows that Black is guilty and—"

"See Minister, I told you, Potter's ego is too inflated for his own good, he think he knows everything—"

"Yes, yes Professor, they're obviously confunded—"

"**WE'RE NOT CONFUNDED**" Harry roared, impatiently.

"**Minister, Professor!"** said Madam Pomfrey, angrily. "**I must insist that you leave. Potter is my patient and he should not be distressed**!" Before Harry could protest, she stuffed a large chunk of chocolate into his mouth, and as he choked she forced him back into bed.

"**Now, **_**please**_**, Minister, these children need care. Please leave—**"

The door opened again, this time Dumbledore stepped through, his beard and glasses glinting impressively in the candlelight. Harry's heart tightened at the sight of the wizened Headmaster. He didn't know what to feel.

Hermione chimed in at once, "**Professor Dumbledore! Sirius Black—**"

"**For heaven's sake**!" said Madam Pomfrey hysterically. "**Is this a hospital wing or not? Headmaster I must insist—**"

"**My apologies, Poppy, but I need a word with Mr. Potter and Miss Granger**," Dumbledore said calmly. "**I have just been talking with Sirius Blac**k—"

"**I suppose he's told you the same fairy tale he's planted in Potter's mind**?" spat Snape. "**Something about a rat, and Pettigrew being alive—**"

"**That, indeed, is Black's story," **said Dumbledore, surveying Snape closely through his half-moon spectacles.

"**And does my evidence count for nothing**?" snarled Snape. "**Peter Pettigrew was not in the Shrieking Shack, or did I see any sign of him on the grounds**."

Hermione started to explain, but Harry silenced her with look; there was no point to even try to argue with Snape.

"**I would like to speak to Harry and Hermione alone**," said Dumbledore abruptly. "**Cornelius, Severus, Poppy — please leave us."**

"**Headmaster!"** sputtered Madam Pomfrey. "**They need treatment, they need rest—**"

"**This cannot wait**," said Dumbledore, solemnly. "**I must insist**."

Pomfrey pursed her lips and strode away into her office, slamming the door behind her. Fudge consulted a rather gaudy gold watch and exited the wing, mumbling something about a press release. Snape began to speak, only to be silenced by Dumbledore raising a hand. He shot Harry a look of pure loathing and swept out of the wing. Dumbledore closed the doors with a swish of the same hand, and turned to Harry and Hermione.

Harry looked up, directly into Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes, and asked "Do you believe us, sir?"

"Yes, Harry, I do. But there is little I can do about it at this hour and with Fudge so determined."

Harry deflated a little, but persevered, "Surely you can do something?"

"I'm sorry, Harry."

Harry's last dregs of trust faded. The titbits swirling in his brain informed him that as the Supreme Mugwump (What the bloody hell was a Mugwump anyway?) and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot among many other things, he _did_ have the power to do something, but for whatever reason he wasn't. Harry bitterly noted that Dumbledore hadn't denied that he _could_ do something; he avoided giving a straight answer. The information about the time turner came back to him as he racked his brains for what to do next.

"Sir, what I think we need, is more _time_." Harry said tentatively.

Dumbledore's eyes light up and twinkled happily at him. "I fully agree, I must say I'm impressed that you know about Miss Granger's new accessory." Hermione's eyes bugged out as she realized what they were getting at. Dumbledore forestalled her interruption with a hand, "**Now, pay attention**," said Dumbledore, speaking very low, and very clearly. "**Sirius is locked in Professor Flitwick's office on the seventh floor. Thirteenth window from the right of the West Tower. If all goes well, you will be able to save more than one innocent life tonight. But remember this, both of you: you must not be seen! Miss Granger, you know that law, you know what is at stake**."

Hermione was half glaring at Harry while she mumbled 'Seventh floor, thirteenth window from the right, West Tower' under her breath, as Dumbledore turned on his heel and walked to the door, looking back at them he continued "**I am going to lock you in. It is—**" He consulted his watch, "—**five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck." **His cloak swished around him as he exited the wing, closing the doors behind him.

"Good luck?" Hermione repeated incredulously. "How did you know about my time turner? What does he mean two lives? Who else is in danger? Oh I hope it's not Professor Lupin—"

"There's no time for that now, come on Hermione!"

She seemed to shake herself before pulling a thin gold chain out of her robes and tossing it over him. She studied the little hourglass carefully before turning it over precisely three times. Immediately, the ward dissolved into blurry movement as it lightened and people bustled about faster than Harry could see, then suddenly everything stilled. They were standing in the middle of the empty Hospital Wing, and sunlight was streaming in. Immediately, Hermione dragged him into a broom cupboard that was just outside the wing. The door wasn't even properly shut and Hermione had her wand lit with a whispered 'Lumos!' before hounding him with questions.

"How did you know about the Time Turner, Harry? I've been very careful all year and if Professor McGonagall knew that you knew I would be in _loads_ of trouble since I really wasn't supposed to tell anyone you see; but now obviously Dumbledore knows so I'm probably in trouble anyway, but he was the one who sent us back to save Sirius so — and what did he mean save _two_ lives? Who—" She paused to gasp another breath before continuing. "—who else could we save?"

"How far are we back? Three hours? What happened three hours ago that needs to change?"

"Harry, this _is_ three hours ago, so whatever it is we've got to change it _now_."

"Three hours ago…we were walking down to Hagrid's hut…Hagrid…Buckbeak! We've got to save Buckbeak!"

"That's it Harry! Come on—"

The door swung open revealing Ginny. She flushed bright red, before regaining her composure. "My, my, you two. Who would've though Hermione would be snuggled in a broom closet like this?"

Harry flushed deeper than Ginny and looked away, but Hermione answered. "Ginny! What are you doing! Who else is there? Don't be ridiculous!"

"No one, I'm—"

"Then what are you doing here!" Hermione interrupted impatiently.

Ginny didn't look pleased with being cut off. "Well you see," she started off slowly "Filch has taken to searching my bag for Dungbombs and InstaPixie Paste so I've been hiding my supplies in here. The real question is, what are _you_ doing here?"

_InstaPixie Paste? What on earth is that?_ Harry wondered. He was just glad Ginny was preoccupied with Hermione enough to not stare at him. Her hero worship really bugged him— no that wasn't quite right. He didn't know how to _deal_ with her hero worship of him. He didn't do anything special, just what anyone else would've done under the same circumstances. And he certainly didn't want any recognition for what happened to his parents. As far as he was concerned he didn't do anything, it was all his parents. It really upset him that the Wizarding world made him out to be some big hero and completely passed over his Lily and James' sacrifice.

"Ginny," Hermione chided "You've got to stop focusing on pranks and keep on your studies! You start your third year in just a few months!"

Ginny sighed, just as exasperated as everyone else with Hermione's overbearing attitude, "Exams are over, just let it be Hermione. Besides, you certainly break enough rules; you're doing it right now! Now, _tell me_ what you're up to! And where's Ron?" The redhead had her hands on her hips, standing in a stance that was remarkably similar to Mrs. Weasley.

Harry groaned. They really didn't have time for this. Before they could draw any attention, he grabbed Ginny by her robes and pulled her into the closet, shutting the door quietly behind them. "Listen, Ginny, what's going on right now is really complicated and you can't tell _anyone_ you've seen us all right? It's extremely important that no one, _no one_ knows we're here."

Ginny's eye lit up fiercely, "You're on one of your adventures again aren't you? Well I'm coming! Ever since he started school Ron's been a complete prat to me, and we used to do everything together. Well no longer! I'm not a baby and you're not going to leave me out!

"Ginny…" Harry pleaded. "Please, we don't have time for this, this is serious!" His mouth threatened to smile over the pun, despite the, ahem, seriousness of the situation.

"You don't have to explain, I trust you. Besides, I owe you a Life Debt for saving me last year. Let me help."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. "We could probably use her help…" Hermione sighed, giving in and nudging Harry.

"All right! Ginny, listen, we've gone back in time a few hours to rescue Buckbeak and, well, Sirius Black. He's innocent but in a few hours he'll be captured and they're about to execute him. I know it's insane but you have to believe us!"

Ginny's eyes widened at the mention of Sirius Black and she sucked in a breath, but she seemed determined. She looked deep into his eyes before she nodded, and they carefully make their way out of the closet and down the halls towards the entrance way. Fortune was upon them, for they didn't encounter anyone on their way, and they managed to make it outside to the fringes of the Forbidden Forest near Hagrid's hut. Buckbeak was chained outside, and they could see themselves in the window, talking to Hagrid.

"Merlin!" Ginny exclaimed, after clearly seeing Harry and Hermione through Hagrid's window. "Come on, let's go ahead and free Buckbeak and get on to finding Black."

"**No!"** said Hermione. "**If we steal him now those Committee people will think Hagrid set him free! We've got to wait until they've seen he's tied outside!"**

"**That's got to give us about sixty seconds**." said Harry. This was starting to seem impossible.

"How are we going to lure Buckbeak away from Hagrid's? Harry, be sure to grab those dead chickens strung up! Surely he'll follow us for some food?" mumbled Ginny.

Just then, there was a crash and the sound of glass breaking from inside Hagrid's cabin.

"**That's Hagrid breaking the milk jug**," Hermione whispered. "**I'm going to find Scabbers in a moment**…"

Harry wanted nothing more than to burst through the door and grab Pettigrew, but he knew he couldn't. He didn't want to find out what happened if he saw himself, and he already had a plan to catch the rat.

They waited for a little longer; finally Dumbledore, Fudge, the executioner, and someone else were making their way down towards the hut.

"**We're about to come out**! Hermione breathed.

Just a moment later, the back door to Hagrid's hut opened, and Harry saw himself, Hermione, and Ron exiting. _This is the weirdest thing we've ever done, this is insane_, he thought. He watched at the Committee group made their way inside as the other him and his friends trouped out of sight.

"This is it, come on!" breathed Harry as he started toward Buckbeak. He paused just before he came into view of the cabin as someone peered out at the hippogriff before turning back around. Breathing a sigh of relief, he pressed on. He, Hermione, and Ginny bowed at one, keeping eye contact until Buckbeak sank to his scaly knees. Harry immediately grabbed the strung up chickens while Hermione and Ginny fumbled with the rope that secured the hippogriff.

They had just begun moving back to the forest, Buckbeak was indeed much more inclined to follow the food, when Hagrid's door cracked open and a voice trickled out, **"Well, let's get this over with," **said the unknown Committee member. **"Hagrid, perhaps it would be better for you to stay inside—"**

They froze, eyes wide**. "No, I-I wan' ter be with him…I don' wan' him ter be alone—"** Hagrid choked out. Harry tugged harder on the rope, desperate to free Buckbeak for Hagrid.

"**One moment, please, Macnair**," came the voice of Albus Dumbledore. "**You need to sign too.**" The children breathed a sigh of relief as the door closed back and continued tugging Buckbeak into the trees until they were well hidden.

Just as they had caught their breath, Hagrid's door opened with a bang loud enough for them to hear. All four of them held completely still, even Buckbeak seemed to be listening intently.

It was silent for a moment, then… "**Where is it? Where is the beast**?"

"**It was tied here**!" said the executioner furiously. "**I just saw it! Just here**!"

"**How extraordinary**," said Dumbledore. There was a faint note of amusement in his voice.

"**Beaky**!" Hagrid called. "**Gone! Gone! Bless his beak, he's gone! Musta pulled himself free! Beaky, yeh clever boy!"**

Hearing Hagrid's voice, Buckbeak was no long pacified by the chickens, and they had to tie him to a tree quite securely to keep him hidden. Harry patted the anxious hippogriff and spoke to him in a low soothing voice, and Buckbeak seemed to listen, as he stopped pulling against the rope.

Despite the executioners upset, no one began a search of the ground so the girls boneless-ly slumped to the ground, obviously relieved that the matter was behind them. After a moment, Harry joined them, leaning against Buckbeak's flank.

"So what now?" Ginny asked, hesitantly.

Hermione looked like she wanted to say something, but Harry started speaking first. "There's a lot we've got to talk about, but a big part of it's going to have to wait," He said firmly. He knew that would upset Hermione, but he hoped that the gravity of the situation would cause her to be more reasonable. "I have a plan to save Sirius and capture Scabbers…err…I mean Pettigrew. We've got to move to the Shrieking Shack soon, or else we won't know when it's time to rescue Sirius. Once where over there and he makes it escape I'm going to summon him, stun him, and put him in an Unbreakable container—"

Hermione cut him off, "Harry, what happened to you? You seem so different! What aren't you telling me? I_ know_ it's important and you really must tell me what going on, it's not fair otherwise!"

Before Harry could respond, Ginny leapt to his defence. "He said he wanted to wait to talk about it, don't you think he might have a reason for that? Maybe it's hard to talk about! Maybe he doesn't want to have to repeat it for Ron! Just because you can't stand not knowing something doesn't give you the right to jump down everyone's throat! You're always on Ron about not having any tact, but where's yours?"

Harry felt extremely uncomfortable with Ginny's defence. He appreciated it, but he felt it was only going to make things worse. Before it could descend into a full on row, he put his hands up and said, "Listen! We've got much more important things to think about right now, such as capturing a traitor and saving Sirius's soul! Can we please forestall any arguments until lives _aren't_ hanging in the balance?"

Both girls looked suitably abashed, but Ginny also looked vindicated. "Now, as I was saying, I've got to conjure the container, and I've never done it before, but I'm going to give you the specific incantation and wand movements and I want you both to try as well. My magic might be a bit, err, _different_, and yes Hermione I'll tell you all about it _later_!"

Five minutes later they had a perfect large jar with a secure lid that even had small air holes, a much smaller jar whose lid was slightly wonky, and a malformed chunk of glass. The results weren't unusual, but who created which result was. Harry blinked at his perfect jar. _Wow, that must have been some binding on my magic; it's never been that easy before! _He thought. Hermione was thoroughly disgruntled as she stared at her unsuccessful attempt. Even Ginny had done better than her, though Harry had succeeded perfectly.

Shaking himself, he moved on to making it unbreakable. He conjured several wineglasses (_Facere et Vinum Vitro!_) and taught the girls the unbreakable charm (_Omnino Indissolubiles!_) and they each cast it on a wine glass. They hurled each one as hard as they could against a rocky area. None of them shattered, but Ginny's cracked, and Harry pretended that his had as well so that Hermione was the one to cast it on the jar. If either girl noticed what he did, they didn't say anything.

Slowly, keeping to the fringes of the Forbidden Forest when they could, they moved toward the Shrieking Shack. They had just settled down to wait when they saw Hagrid on the path, walking up to the castle. He had a large bottle swinging from his hands, and judging from the tune he was singing merrily, it was strong stuff. Buckbeak tried once more to get to Hagrid, but Hermione was surprisingly good at knots, and the rope held. The castle doors had barely shut when they swung open again, and Snape came storming out of them, hurrying towards the Whomping Willow.

"Get your greasy hands off it!" Harry hissed quietly in distaste, as Snape found the invisibility cloak. He immobilized the tree with a silent spell and was gone.

"**So that's it**," said Hermione quietly. "**We're all down there… and now we've just got to wait until we come back up again**…"

"While we wait, I want you both to try and conjure a Patronus. I know it's difficult, but even the mist will help you once the Dementors are on the grounds. I don't know what made them retreat, maybe it was Snape, but I don't want any accidents—"

"_Professor_ Snape, Harry!"

Harry and Ginny exchanged an incredulous look, before Harry continued. "Anyway, the incantation is _Expecto Patronum_, and you have to think of a time when you were the happiest you've ever been, when you felt the most loved, that's the memory to use. It's much harder around Dementors though, so you might want to use several memories. Let the happiness consume you and don't let anything distract you."

As Harry watched their efforts, he wondered why he didn't have Ron and Hermione join his Patronus lessons to begin with, since the Dementors seem to go after him, it stood to reason that his friends might be in danger as well. Actually, once there were Dementors on the grounds, the whole school should've been taught the charm. Not everyone could master it of course, but some students could, and those students could help protect those that couldn't.

Hermione was looking frustrated, and the more frustrated she got, the less mist she had. Ginny, on the other hand, had a mass of silvery mist, but it wasn't quite a corporeal Patronus yet. Still, it was astounding progress for a Second and Third year. _Why did everyone insist that this Charm was so difficult when he and two of his friends showed an aptitude for it_?

"Hermione, you're not going to be able to make it work if you're frustrated. It's powered by positive feelings, happiness, and love. Not anger."

Hermione glared at him, but took a moment to brush the hair from her face and breathe in a sort of meditative way. Her next attempt was much better, and she seemed pleased.

_I should've asked my Dad about the Dementors, I wasn't thinking straight, there's no telling who or what I actually saw, but, that looked a lot like him. With the distance it was hard to tell…but there was definitely a resemblance. Could the Marauders have ridden again tonight? Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs; were they all out on the grounds this evening, one last full moon together? Wormtail had reappeared tonight when everyone had thought he was dead….Was it so impossible that Dad did the same? No, I'm nuts, I've officially lost it, I know…I know that he's dead. I just had proof in that dream, err, vision, a few hours ago…Must've been someone else_… he thought while the girls worked.

Eventually Hermione and Ginny gave it up as a bad job, and settled in to wait. Hermione was repeating 'Seventh floor, thirteenth window from the right, West Tower' under her breath again, and Ginny had joined him by Buckbeak, who was nuzzling her. He briefly felt offended, but Ginny was probably better company than he anyway, so he couldn't blame the hippogriff.

Finally, after over an hour of waiting…

"**Here we come**!" Hermione whispered.

They all got to their feet, Buckbeak seemed annoyed that Ginny's ministrations were over. They saw Lupin, Ron, and Pettigrew clambering awkwardly out of the hole in the roots. Then came Hermione…and then the unconscious Snape, drifting weirdly upward. Next came Harry and Sirius. They all began to walk up to the castle.

Something was wrong, he was forgetting something! He glanced upward, the moonlight was glinting through the clouds…Moonlight! They had to get out of here!

"Hermione! We've got to move!"

"Harry, we can't be seen, we have to stay put!"

"Well Lupin's about to transform and run into the woods right at us! Do you _want_ to be a werewolf?"

Hermione gasped, and then ran to untie Buckbeak. "**Oh where are we going to go? Where are we going to hide? The dementors are going to be coming any moment—**"

"Back to Hagrid's, it empty now! Come on Buckbeak!" Ginny had grabbed the rope from Hermione, and started running towards the little hut. Harry and Hermione took off after her, running as fast as they could. They could hear a werewolf howling behind them…

Harry had outstretched the others, he reached the door and wrenched it open, ushering everyone in. He threw himself in after them, slammed the door, bolted it, and threw a chair in front of it for good measure. _What if we didn't realize where to go in time? What if Ginny got bitten? Or Hermione? It's my fault they're out here_… Harry thought, peering out the window.

"That was close." Hermione said, scratching Fang's ears to calm him.

"Tell me about it!" replied Ginny, who was still a little out of breath from running.

Buckbeak lay down in front of the fire, he seemed very pleased to be back in Hagrid's house, with Ginny scratching his wing joints for him.

"I wish I had the invisibility cloak, I can't see what's going on from here, and I've still got to catch Pettigrew!" He wanted desperately to see if it was his Dad out there, but he really didn't want to get bitten by a werewolf, even if the werewolf was Professor Lupin. And he especially didn't want Pettigrew escaping again.

A thought came to him, but it was strange. It wasn't his thought…_it must be some more of that information given to me by my parents!_ He thought excitedly, _A disillusionment charm and a quick 'abscondere' should hide me from view and detection by Lupin and Pettigrew…though the Dementors will still be able to sense me…hmmm…I wonder if there are any spells that can hide you from a Dementor_?

"I'm going out there to keep an eye on things, but don't worry, I'll stay hidden! But we've got to know when it's safe to rescue Sirius, and I have to catch Pettigrew. It's not right that Sirius has to be on the run, I want to clear his name."

"Oh all right!" Hermione huffed. "**But Harry, be careful— there's a werewolf out there— and the dementors—"**

Harry nodded at them both, picked up the unbreakable jar, and unbolted the door. Stepping outside quickly, he walked to a clump of trees by the lake, and once he was sure Hermione couldn't see him anymore, he pointed his wand at himself, "_Absondere_!"

He then steeled himself for the next spell, calling on his magic in a way he hadn't before. "Accio Peter Pettigrew!" He waited for a moment, and just when he thought he had failed, a small shaped zoomed toward him in the darkness. He snatched the furry object out of the air with his seeker reflexes and pointed his wand at the rat. "_Stupify_!" It stopped struggling.

"What are you doing?"

He jumped, nearly dropping the stunned animagus. "Ginny, what are you doing here! It's not safe to be out here!"

"That's why I couldn't let you go alone! Why are you so close to the dementors? You don't want them to sense you! Is that Pettigrew, then?"

"I think so. See, it's missing a toe. I've stunned him." He dropped the rat by the tail into the jar, and twisted on the lid. For good measure, he put a sticking charm on the lid, so it couldn't be opened without a wand.

Ginny high fived him, and he stuffed the jar into his cloak pocket, fastening it securely. "Good thinking! But you didn't answer my other question. He shifted, uncomfortably, but she continued to gaze at him, unblinking.

"Well…when the dementors were all around me and Sirius, someone rescued us. They shot a Patronus out from this side of the lake, and well, they sort of looked like my Dad. I _know_ it's crazy, I was blacking out and they were across the lake…but I want to see for myself…I have to know."

Ginny nodded, and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He was relieved that she didn't think he was stupid or insane; he hadn't wanted to tell Hermione because he knew she would tell him he was being ridiculous. But Ginny just understood that this was something he had to know for himself.

"Anyway, what was that first spell you cast? The one at yourself?"

"Oh, it conceals your scent and tracks, I figured it would be useful to hide from Lupin. Here let me do you, and a Disillusionment charm. It won't make you invisible; you just change to match your surroundings, so if you're moving too fast someone still could see you." She held still for him to cast the charms, and then he disillusioned himself. It was disconcerting to look down at his body and see bark and leaves, but now, no one should be able to find them. They began to move stealthily, closer to where he thought his Dad had come from. They hid near a bush, peeking out at what was happening across the lake. He could see his own attempts at a Patronus; he was weakening, sinking to his knees-

"**Come on**!" he muttered, staring about. "**Where are you? Dad, come on—**"

But no one was coming. There was no one even close to coming; they'd have to be right on top of him to cast the charm right now. One of the dementors across the lake was lowering its hood, he was about to die over there—

And then it hit him— he understood. He hadn't seen his father, he had seen _himself_!

He pulled out his wand and flung himself out from behind the bush. He pulled together all of his magic, thinking of his capture of Pettigrew and summers with Sirius, with someone who actually cares for him, and… "**EXPECTO PATRONUM**!" he cried.

And out of the end of his wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding dazzling, silver animal. His focused his eyes, trying to see what it was, as it charged the dementors, throwing them away from Sirius with its horns…antlers….it was a stag! He watched as the magnificent silver animal routed the rest of the dementors, and started cantering back to him. He reached out his fingertips towards it. "_**Prongs**_**."** he whispered, as the Patronus vanished.

He was so engrossed in everything that had just happened, he didn't even notice that the dementors were coming straight for him until he started to hear his mother screaming for her life in his ears as he fell to the ground. Belatedly, he realized his disillusionment charm had worn off, not that it was much help in keeping dementors at bay.

"Oh no you don't! You're not going to intimidate me, _Tom,_ and you're _not _going to hurt him! Not anymore! EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Ginny roared. A beautiful lioness leapt from the tip of her wand, and clawed at the dementors, causing them to retreat. Ginny watched to be sure they were gone for good, then she kneeled next to him, cradling his head in her hands. "It's okay Harry, they've gone."

"That…that was brilliant Ginny. _You_ saved my life this time. Are we even now?" he chuckled.

She grinned at him. "Come on, up you get, we've got to get back to Hermione before she has a stroke."

They hurried back to the cabin, rushing inside. Hermione was on them immediately.

"_**What did you do**_?" she said fiercely. "**You said you were only going to keep a lookout**! And you!" she turned to Ginny.

"He just saved your lives, and then I saved his! Not to mention we caught the rat! I told you that you needed my help!"

"**Did anyone see you**?"

"No, not exactly. I saw me, but it's okay, because, well, I already saw me, I just thought I was my dad!"

Hermione looked at him, her eyes bulging. Before she could scold him, he continued. "It's okay Hermione, I promise. Come on, we've got to rescue Sirius."

She consulted her watch. "**You're right, it's nearly time. We've got about forty-five minutes until Dumbledore locks the door to the hospital wing. We've got to rescue Sirius and get back into the ward before anyone realizes we're missing**…and Ginny you've got to get back to Gryffindor Tower before anyone realizes _you're_ missing."

"Don't worry about me, my friends know that I'm often out past curfew playing pranks, getting in mischief." Ginny said, in a blasé tone of voice.

Hermione look scandalized, but fortunately, said nothing. They continued to wait, until—

"**Look**!" Hermione whispered. "**Who's that? Someone's coming back out of the castle**!"

Harry stared through the darkness. The man was hurrying across the grounds, toward one of the entrances. Something shiny glinted in his belt.

"Macnair!" said Harry. "**The executioner! He's gone to get the dementors! This is it Hermione**, Ginny-"

They ushered Buckbeak out of the cabin. Harry helped Hermione and Ginny climb onto Buckbeak, and then climbed up in front of them. "Ready?" he whispered to them, "You'd better hold on!"

He nudged Buckbeak's sides with his heels.

Buckbeak leapt into the air, soaring into the night. Harry guided him towards one of the entrances away from Macnair. "That's it Beaky, come on, you're such a good hippogriff!" he murmured to him, hoping it would help. He could hear Hermione panicking behind him, and Ginny telling her to calm down. He tilted forward, and Buckbeak touched to the ground.

"Harry, what are you doing!"

"Buckbeak can't handle four! Ginny, take Pettigrew and get up to Gryffindor Tower! Here!" He fumbled with the jar, handing it to her. She stuffed it in her pocket and dismounted. "Hurry! And please don't get caught!" She waved, and he spurred Buckbeak back into the air. He silently prayed that she would be okay— and the Pettigrew wouldn't escape again. That would be just his luck.

Harry urged Buckbeak higher, and they made their way to the West Tower. He was trying to count the windows flashing past—

"**Whoa**!" he said, pulling backward as hard as he could.

Buckbeak slowed down and they found themselves at a stop, unless you counted the fact that they kept rising up and down several feet as the hippogriff beat his wings to remain airborne.

"**He's there**!" Harry said, spotting Sirius as they rose up beside the window. He reached out, and rapped sharply on the glass.

Sirius looked up. Harry saw his jaw drop. He leapt from his chair, hurried to the window, and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"**Stand back**!" Hermione called to him, and she took out her wand and cried, "_**Alohomora**_!"

The window sprang open.

"**How— how**—?" said Sirius, weakly, staring at the hippogriff.

"**Get on— there's not much time**!" said Harry, gripping Buckbeak firmly in an attempt to keep him steady.

"**You've got to get out of here— the dementors are coming— Macnair's gone to get them**."

Sirius placed a hand on either side of the window frame and heaved his head and shoulders out of it. It was very lucky he was so thin. In seconds, he had managed to fling on leg over Buckbeak's back and pull himself onto the hippogriff behind Hermione.

"**Okay Buckbeak**! Good job, boy! Now, up! **Up to the tower, come on**, you can do it!"

The hippogriff gave one mighty sweep of his wings and they were soaring upward again, high as the top of the West Tower. Buckbeak landed with a clatter on the battlements, and Harry and Hermione slid off him at once.

"Sirius, you've got to listen, quick," Harry panted. "I have Pettigrew, I caught him in his rat form and stunned him, but we can't count on Fudge listening to us. Listen to me, _go to Black Manor_! Take up the mantle of Lord Black! It's the only way to get you free and to get me away from the Dursley's! Promise you'll do as I say!"

Sirius stared at him, and sputtered.

"Promise me, please!"

"Sirius reached out one hand, putting it on Harry's shoulder. "I promise, but what about-"

"No time for that now! You've got to go! I'll owl you immediately explaining everything!"

"**How can I ever thank—**"

"**GO!**" Harry and Hermione shouted together.

Sirius nudged Buckbeak, turning him around, facing the open sky.

"**We'll see each other again**," he said. "**You are— truly your father's son, Harry**…"

He pulled upward on Buckbeak's rope. Harry and Hermione jumped back as the enormous wings rose once more…The hippogriff took off into the air…He and his rider became smaller and smaller as Harry gazed after them…they were gone.


	2. Chapter 2- A Defied Prophecy

Ritual Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I'm not tryna say I do, and I'm making no profit off it, so please don't sue.

*This chapter has been edited from its original version. Only minor, non-plot related changes were made*

Chapter Two: A Defied Prophecy

Ginny clutched the jar containing the traitor tightly in her pocket as she walked quickly, darting from shadow to shadow, back to Gryffindor Tower. Her heart was pounding but she kept a tight rein on her breathing, so as to be nearly silent in the halls. Mrs. Norris had extraordinarily good hearing, and this was one evening when she absolutely could not be caught out of bounds. Although…Mrs. Norris and Pettigrew locked in a room together had some possibilities…but she didn't have any idea how to keep the rat in his rat form, so that was impractical at best. Maybe a good strong Confundus charm…She pulled up short at the Fat Lady, she had arrived far quicker than she'd expected. In her excitement, she must've been moving very fast. She gave the password (_Ilfracombe!_) and climbed through the portrait hole to a nearly deserted common room. Fortunately, no one there pestered her about where she'd been, and she hurried up to her dormitory, to the shared bathroom, where she locked the door with some excellent charms and even a curse. Hands shaking, she removed the jar from her pocket.

Midnight was approaching, and while that didn't have any meaning to her, it meant a great deal to the one known as Fate.

Ginny inspected the rat within the jar. He was twitching, groggily. _He must be breaking Harry's Stunner!_ Ginny thought. She didn't know if he had to be kept under or if it didn't matter. She certainly didn't want him escaping simply because she was too skittish to open the jar and Stun him again, so she carefully sealed up every nook and cranny in the bathroom, undid the Sticking charm on the lid, and opened the jar. The rat was evidently feigning confusion, as he took that chance to leap out and transform into a man. _Surely I can take on one little girl_, Pettigrew thought.

Ginny, however wasn't afraid. She immediately bound him with a cry of "Incarcerous!" Thick strong ropes materialized and wrapped around him, head to toe, and he lost his balance and toppled over. Frantic, he started screaming "Help! Somebody help me!" but the girl just grinned at him.

"I put a silencing spell up you sniveling rat. No one can hear you; no one is going to come. Quiet down now and pay attention." Ginny was enraged that he tried to escape her; she took it as a personal insult that he didn't consider her a threat. She was thoroughly done being a helpless little girl, and she would _not_ fail again. What Tom did to her had a very large effect on who she was now. Her innocence had been almost entirely taken away from her and she was in many ways stronger than ever, through a sheer determination to not be weak. Her first year at Hogwarts had been her chance to prove herself to her six older brothers, who had treated her like a baby her whole life, not to mention her Mum, who was still convinced that Ginny was five, and not twelve! Tom had ruined that chance for her, and took every possible moment to remind her how helpless she was. She was utterly tormented for ten months, almost every ounce of self-worth, freedom, and will had been taken from her, and she was _not_ under any circumstances going to allow anyone to do that same ever again. She didn't care if it was Merlin himself, she was utterly in charge of her life and her choices. Period.

She jabbed her wand into his neck and stared down at him, looking rather intimidating for a tired twelve year old. "You have exactly two choices, Scabbers, you can turn back into a rat, go back into the jar like a good little pet, and be put on trial and sentenced to Azkaban." He paled at the mention of the prision. "Or, I will Stun you, put a heavy sleeping spell on you, and float you out onto the grounds to the Dementors. They can have your soul, if there's even one in there." Pettigrew was a remarkably pale man, but had now gone completely white.

"I-I'll be a g-good r-rat I p-p-promise." Her eyes narrowed, but she stepped back for him to transform, keeping her wand trained on him. He started to change, shrinking and growing fur, and he immediately scurried over to a corner, trying to find an escape route.

"I already thought of that Scabbers! Give it up, or you'll be dead before the night is through. If anyone deserves that, it's you; you're a murder and a traitor. Azkaban really is too nice for you."

She took careful aim and said "_Petrificus Totalus_!" The rat froze in place, petrified. She sauntered over, and scooped him into the jar. She wasn't sure if petrification and a stunner should be combined, but she figured she couldn't find a better test subject. With a shrug, she stuck her wand in the jar and a red light impacted with the rat. Then, for good measure, she tied him up. It couldn't hurt. She replaced the lid, and took down the various spells that enclosed the bathroom.

It was 12:03, and Pettigrew wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

><p>It was midnight exactly, as Albus Dumbledore's head snapped up from his quiet reverie. Not many could feel magic in the same way he could, it took power and lots of meditation, but he was as attuned to magic any anyone ever had been. Few alive could've sensed the wave of magic that had just rolled through Hogwarts; fewer still, could interpret what it meant.<p>

It was 12:03, and he felt uneasy.

* * *

><p>"<strong>Harry<strong>!" Hermione tugged at his sleeve as she inspected her watch. "**We've got exactly ten minutes to get back down to the Hospital Wing without anybody seeing us— before Dumbledore locks the door—**"

"**Okay**," said Harry, tearing his eyes from the moonlit sky. "**let's go**…"

They slipped through the doorway behind them, and down a tightly spiraling stone staircase. As they reached the bottom of it, they heard voices. _Oh I'm an idiot_, Harry thought, _I can just disillusion us and cast silencing spells on our feet!_

He gestured wildly to Hermione to get her attention, before pointing his wand at his feet with a whispered "Silencio!" He then rapped his wand on his head, and disappeared from view. "Now you!" He breathed in her ear. She nodded so he made quick work of quieting and disillusioning her.

They started down the hall, and heard Snape and Fudge talking.

"…**only hope Dumbledore's not going to make difficulties," Snape was saying. "The Kiss will be performed immediately**?"

_You're too late you slimy git!_ Harry thought cheerily. He wished he could see Snape's face when he found out.

"**As soon as Macnair returns with the dementors. This whole Black affair has been highly embarrassing. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to informing the **_**Daily Prophet**_** that we've got him at last…I daresay they'll want to interview you, Snape…and once young Harry's back in his right mind, I'll expect he'll want to tell the **_**Prophet**_** exactly how you saved him**…"

Harry clenched his teeth at the smirk on Snape's face, as they passed each other in the corridor, going the opposite way. However, it did give him quite a bit of satisfaction to know that Snape's happiness was shortly going to be quite ruined, and now he was out of bounds right below his oversized nose!

They hurried down the corridor, going a little faster once Snape and Fudge were out of sight, Hermione's hand clenched around his wrist made sure that they stayed together as they sped down one staircase, then another. They had just turned along a new corridor when they heard a cackling ahead.

"_**Peeves**_!" Harry muttered, pulling Hermione into a deserted classroom to their left just in the nick of time. Peeves seemed to be bouncing along the corridor in a boisterously good mood, laughing his head off.

"**Oh, he's horrible**," whispered Hermione, her ear to the door. "**I bet he's all excited because the dementors are going to finish off Sirius…" She checked her watch. "**Five** minutes, Harry**!"

They broke into a run again, finally reaching the hospital wing entrance. They caught their breath and removed their charms, as the doors opened and Dumbledore's back appeared.

"**I'm going to lock you in**," they heard him saying. "**It is five minutes to midnight. Miss Granger, three turns should do it. Good luck**."

Dumbledore swept out of the room, shutting the doors. He saw them, and beamed.

"**We did it**!" said Harry breathlessly. "**Sirius has gone on Buckbeak**…" He trailed off, unsure if he should share about the successful capture of Pettigrew.

"**Well done! I think—**" He listened intently for any sound within the hospital wing. "**Yes, you've gone too— get inside— I'll lock you in—**"

Harry and Hermione slipped back into the infirmary. It was empty except for Ron, who was still lying motionless in the end bed. As the lock clicked behind them, Harry and Hermione crept back to their beds. Hermione tucked the Time Turner back into her robes, Harry took off his glasses, and they removed their shoes before climbing into bed. A moment later Madam Pomfrey came striding back out of her office.

"**Did I hear the headmaster leaving? Am I allowed to look after my patients now**?" She was in a very bad mood, so Harry and Hermione wisely accepted their chocolate and mugs of hot cocoa without a fuss. He and Hermione were listening hard, waiting…and waiting…when they heard a distant roar of fury echo from somewhere above them.

"What in heaven's name was that?" said Madam Pomfrey in alarm, whipping out her wand.

Now they could hear angry voices, growing louder and louder. Madam Pomfrey stepped closer to the door, putting herself between her patients and whatever was happening outside.

The voices were drawing nearer, he could almost hear them…

"**He must have Disapparated, Severus. We should have left somebody in the room with him. When this gets out—**"

"**HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE**!" Snape bellowed, now very close to the hospital wing. "**YOU CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE! THIS — HAS — SOMETHING — TO — DO — WITH — POTTER**!"

"**Severus— be reasonable— Harry's been locked up—**"

BAM.

The doors of the hospital wing were blasted open, banging off the walls. Harry was amazed that they were still attached to their hinges.

Fudge, Snape, and Dumbledore came striding into the ward. Dumbledore looked quite calm, if not a bit mischievous. He was obviously enjoying himself. Fudge appeared upset, but Snape, Snape was beside himself with anger. His face was a shade of burgundy that not even Vernon had yet to achieve.

"**OUT WITH IT, POTTER!"** he screamed down at Harry. "**WHAT DID YOU DO**?"

"**Professor Snape**!" shrieked Madam Pomfrey. "**Control yourself**!"

"**See here, Snape, be reasonable**," said Fudge. "**This door's been locked, we just saw—**"

"**THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT**!" Snape was positively howling at this point, as he pointed at Harry and Hermione. His face was twisted, and Pomfrey flinched back from the spittle flying from his mouth.

"**Calm down, man**!" Fudged barked. "**You're talking nonsense**!"

"**YOU DON'T KNOW POTTER**!" shrieked Snape. "**HE DID IT, I KNOW HE DID IT—**"

"**That'll do, Severus**," said Dumbledore quietly, finally intervening. "**Think about what you are saying. This door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Madam Pomfrey, have these students left their beds**?"

"**Of course not**!" said Madam Pomfrey, bristling. "**I would've heard them**!"

_Poor Madam Pomfrey_, Harry thought. _She's taking quite a bit of abuse this evening_.

"**Well there you have it, Severus**," said Dumbledore calmly. "**Unless you are suggesting that Harry and Hermione are able to be in two places at once, I'm afraid I don't see any point in troubling them further."**

Snape stood there, seething, staring from Fudge, who looked thoroughly shocked at his behavior, to Dumbledore, whose eyes were twinkling behind his glasses. Snape whirled about, and started to storm out of the wing, before Fudge stopped him.

"Excuse me, I think you owe young Harry and his friend here an apology. You wrongfully accused them of something they couldn't possibly do, it was quite rude! I'm outraged to see a Professor speak to a student so."

Harry's eyes bulged, _Snape_, make an _apology_? To _him_? Ha! Snape's face was rapidly shifting colors, before settling on a deep puce tone.

He shifted awkwardly, while Fudge smiled pleasantly at him, obviously expecting an adequate and heartfelt apology.

Without looking at either Harry or Hermione, Snape snarled venomously, "I'm _so_ sorry to interrupt your important recovery, Potter. There's only a murderer loose in Hogwarts, and I'm just trying to find the truth of the matter." He then swept from the wing, his stomps echoing for several minutes before they faded.

"**Fellow seems quite unbalanced**," said Fudge, staring after him indignantly. "**I'd watch out for him if I were you, Dumbledore**. That's no way for a teacher to behave, wholly unprofessional. Maybe an investigation is in order…"

Dumbledore cut him off quickly, "**Oh he's not unbalanced, he's just suffered a severe disappointment**." Pomfrey's face was etched with disapproval.

"**He's not the only one!"** puffed Fudged. "**The **_**Daily Prophet's**_** going to have a field day! We had Black cornered and he slipped through our fingers yet again! All it needs now if for the story of that hippogriff's escape to get out and I'll be a laughingstock! Well…I'd better go and notify the Ministry**."

Despite Harry's glee at the Minister forcing Snape to apologize, he thought it might be a good idea to think about sending an anonymous note to the _Prophet_ about Buckbeak's freedom…he'd ask Sirius about it.

"**And the dementors**?" said Dumbledore. "**They'll be removed from the school, I trust**?"

"**Oh yes, they'll have to go**," said Fudge, running his fingers distractedly through his hair. "**Never dreamed they'd attempt to administer the Kiss on an innocent boy…Completely out of control…no, I'll have them packed off to Azkaban tonight…Perhaps we should think of dragons at the school entrance…"**

"**Hagrid would like that**," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry and Hermione. As he and Fudge left the infirmary, Madam Pomfrey bustled to the door to lock it again. Muttering angrily to herself, she went back to her office and slammed the door.

There was a low moan from Ron's bed. They could see him sitting up.

"All right Ron?" Harry asked, quietly.

"All right." he answered, groaning.

"What happened? Where's Sirius and Lupin? Bloody hell I'm sore!"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other, silently debating who'd take on answering his questions. Finally, Hermione sighed.

"Don't worry Ronald, they're both just fine. And, we caught Pettigrew, but we have to keep that quiet for now, Fudge didn't want to listen to us. Go to sleep, you need to heal."

Ron grinned at them, then settled back into his bed. "Goodnight you lot." He said.

"Night, Ron." Harry said.

"Goodnight, Harry, Ron." Hermione said, grinning at Harry as Ron's loud snores began issuing from his bed.

It was a good night indeed.

* * *

><p>Harry awoke with the sun the next morning; Madam Pomfrey wasn't even awake yet. He was itching to go find Ginny and check on Pettigrew, but he trusted her to hold on to him. Today he was going to have to explain to everyone what happened when he blacked out with the dementors, and he wasn't looking forward to it. It sounded kind of dodgy, but all the info he had been given was true, so he hoped they'd believe him and not make a fuss. He was also worried about Ron's reaction to Ginny being included. He'd been rather dismissive towards her ever since he'd know the Weasley's. But now Ginny was involved, and Harry honestly didn't mind. They had saved each other's lives, and she didn't show any signs of hero worship last night. She had just been trusting and supportive, exactly what he needed. Thinking about it further, he felt rather bad. He hadn't really talked to Ginny all year, just the occasional 'Hello' and 'Rotten weather, isn't it?', and that one pickup game of Quidditch they played in the beginning of the year, before the restrictions because of Sirius kept them all indoors most of the time. They hadn't even talked about what happened in the Chamber, not that Harry wanted to. However, he hope she had someone to confide in about all she went through.<p>

A few hours later Madam Pomfrey finally released Harry, Ron, and Hermione for lunch. Ginny was waiting for them outside the door.

"Hey Ron, you alright?" she asked.

"'m fine, what're you doing here?" Ron didn't look too pleased to see his sister waiting for them.

"I'm here to see about you all and let you know that I still have the rat. He tried to escape but I handled it.

"You'll have to tell us about it later in _private_! We really shouldn't be discussing this in the middle of the hall!" Hermione hissed, looking around to make sure no one heard Ginny. "Come on, let's go to lunch."

_Maybe that'll improve Ron's mood_, Harry hoped.

Lunch was delicious, and since everyone was starving from their adventures the previous night, so they ate quite well. Apparently Ginny didn't get breakfast because she was waiting on them to be released. It was another Hogsmeade weekend, so the castle was nearly deserted, for which Harry was thankful. It meant less people around to eavesdrop on them. After Ron had nearly cleared the table of food, they decided to take advantage of the beautiful day, and headed down to the lake to talk.

Harry leaned against a tree, and watched the giant squid, as it floated lazily near the edge of the lake. Ginny was petting one of its tentacles, and Ron and Hermione were bickering over exams. Sitting here, in the sun, it was hard to image that just last night he struggled for his life twice from dementors. Sirius had lain just there, by the lakes edge…He cleared his throat, there was no point in putting this conversation off, not while images of last night still danced behind his eyelids.

Everyone sat down near him and quieted. He figured the beginning was as good of a place as anyway, so he began there.

"After we passed out from the dementors, I remember being unconscious, and then I heard someone calling to me. It was, erm, it was my Mum. I spoke to them— my parents. They told me about a lot of things, they told me how to catch Pettigrew, and that Hermione had a Time Turner. They said, er, that my magic had a binding on it, and they were going to remove it. They also told me that, um, that Dumbledore was keeping secrets that weren't, er, in my best interest, and that Sirius and I had to find the truth. They gave me some of their knowledge, and I, um, woke up." He finished lamely. He felt weird telling them this.

Hermione looked disbelieving, Ron looked uncomfortable, but Ginny just looked supportive. She nodded at him.

"I know it seems, well, it seems crazy, but everything I learned has been true. The spells that they showed me worked and I didn't have a clue about the, er, Time Turner."

"What the bloody hell is a Time Turner?" asked Ron.

Harry gave Hermione a meaningful look. She sighed, and pulled the little hourglass out of her robes.

"A Time Turner can take you back in time, Ronald. There's not really a limit on how far, but since it's powered by your own magic, most people can't do more than a few hours. There was a big experiment once, in the Department of Mysteries, a group of Unspeakables tried to go back a thousand years to leave warnings for the future, but no one knows what happened to them, and since there haven't been any recorded changes in history, they think they all died in the process. I've been using it to get to my lessons all year. Professor McGonagall had to write all sorts of letters about how I'm a perfect student and how I wouldn't use it for anything but my studies," she broke off and had the grace to blush, since she had just used it to help a man on the run from the law escape the Ministry's clutches. "Last night, Ron, we used it to save Sirius, Buckbeak, and to catch Pettigrew."

Ron looked incredulously at the little gold necklace. "Wow, when I miss stuff I really miss the big stuff. I missed Harry facing Voldemort in first year, I missed the basilisk last year, and now I missed the most epic rescue mission of all time!"

"Ron, that's nothing in comparison to what happened in the hospital wing while you were passed out," Harry's face lit up with a grin at the memory, he definitely had good fuel for his next Patronus. "After Snape and Fudge realized that Sirius was gone, right out from their clutches, Snape came storming into the hospital wing, blaming me and Hermione. He was livid, he was completely screaming at us, and Fudge—" Harry bit back a laugh, "—Fudge actually made him apologize! Snape, apologize, to _me_!"

Ron looked at him, slack jawed, then started to howl in glee, "Fudge even said that Snape was off his rocker!" Harry added, laughing along with Ron and Ginny. Hermione was smiling, but she seemed cowed, since Snape was actually right about it.

"He was right, you know. But it was pretty funny." she conceded.

"Anyway, a lot happened last night. While Harry and Hermione took Buckbeak to rescue Sirius, Harry gave me Pettigrew to keep safe. He was waking up from the Stunner, so I secured the bathroom and opened the jar to Stun him again, when he leapt out and transformed. I think he thought he'd have no trouble overpowering a _poor_, _defenseless_ little _girl_," Ginny sneered, in contempt. "But before he could even move I had him tied up. He tried screaming, but I had silenced the room so no one could hear him, and warded any escape routes, so even when he transformed he couldn't escape. I Stunned him, petrified him, and for good measure I bound him up in rat form. He's still breathing, but he's been knocked out cold ever since." She grinned, pleased with herself.

"Blimey Ginny, remind me not to get on your bad side!" Harry said.

"What were you thinking opening that jar! You could've gotten hurt! He's a grown man, there's no telling what he'd do to you!" Ron said hotly.

"Well he didn't do anything to me so far, and in case you had forgotten, Scabbers lived in our house my entire life! He slept in your bed and you didn't even realize he wasn't a real rat, so excuse me for not being too frightened of him! Besides, I was more than a match for him!" Ginny replied, angrily.

Ron didn't look appeased, but he chose not to reply, and instead stared moodily at the lake.

"I think you did brilliantly, Ginny." Hermione said, supportively. "Although you really shouldn't have stunned_ and_ petrified him, I hope there aren't any ill effects."

"If anyone deserves it, it's him." Harry said firmly. He looked at Ginny, "I don't think I properly thanked you for last night,"

"Well you never let me properly thank you for the chamber, so there's no need!"

"What're you on about?" Ron asked them both.

"Last night, Harry saved all of your lives by casting his Patronus from across the lake, but with everything that had happened, he didn't noticed the dementors heading for him, and by the time he did he wasn't in any state to do anything, so I cast my Patronus to get them away."

"You cast a corporeal Patronus? Are you sure? What did it look like?" Hermione questioned at once.

"Of course I'm sure! I'm not bloody going to forget a silver lioness springing from my wand! And Harry's was a stag, like his Dad."

"Oh Harry!" Hermione reached across their circle and hugged him.

He awkwardly patted her back, and waited for her to stop. Girls could make him so uncomfortable at times, he felt it was entirely easier to go up against a basilisk than comfort a crying girl. Maybe it was the difference between boys and girls, or maybe it was because he had exactly zero experiences of comforting, or being comforted. Many little things he had noticed since coming to Hogwarts were awkward for him, such as opening Christmas presents and having people ask after his health. He had never had those things before, and they seemed far too intimate, so much so that he shied away from them, and yet sometimes he just wanted those moments to last longer. He sometimes tried to model his behavior after Ron, but that didn't feel right.

Finally, Hermione withdrew. He was relieved, but at the same time he wished she hadn't. It felt nice to be close to someone. He shook off that feeling, just as an immense shadow fell across them.

"Shoulda known it was you lot out 'ere" Hagrid's voiced boomed out.

"Hiya Hagrid!" the group chorused.

Harry wanted to congratulate him on Buckbeak escaping, but he remembered that he shouldn't have known about that yet. "You doing alright?" he asked, instead.

"'m fine, great actually! I guess ya'll haven't head tha news!" He beamed at them, "**Beaky! He escaped! Bin celebratin' all night **over it ter be honest! Tha executioner was in a right state over it, but there wasn't nothin' he could do!"

"That's great Hagrid, I'm happy for him!" said Hermione, brightly.

Ron looked like he was close to laughing, but Ginny shut him up with a look.

"Yeah…that rope must've been bad or sumhat'," He said, not looking upset at all at the idea that the rope was faulty, "Mind you, I was worried this mornin', what with Professor Lupin bein' lose on tha grounds las' night."

"**What?"** said Harry, quickly.

"**Blimey, yeh haven't heard**?" Hagrid's smile faded a little, and he quieted down a bit. "Professor Lupin, er, he's a werewolf yeh see. I thought everyone knew by now. Snape told all the Slytherins this mornin'…**he was loose on the grounds las' night…he's packin' now o' course**."

"Packing? Why?" said Harry, alarmed.

"**Leavin' isn't he?**" said Hagrid, looking surprised. "**Firs' thing this mornin' he resigned. Say he can't risk it happenin' again."**

All four jumped to their feet. "We've got to go see him!" said Hermione. They waved to Hagrid and took off across the grounds, rushing to Lupin's office.

His door was open, but Harry knocked at the frame anyway. The office looked mostly packed, the grindylow's empty tank stood next to a battered suitcase and trunk, which Lupin was directing some books into.

"I saw you four coming," said Lupin, smiling at them. He gestured to the Marauder's Map, which was open on his desk.

"We've just seen Hagrid, he says you resigned! You can't!" Harry said.

"But I'm afraid I must," he sighed. He started emptying his desk, avoiding their eyes.

"But why?" asked Ron.

Lupin waved his wand at the door, closing it. He then waved it, creating some extra chairs for the table.

"I'm daresay the loss of an Order of Merlin, hit Severus rather hard. He, er, _accidentally_ let slip about my condition this morning at breakfast."

"He can't do that! Didn't Professor Dumbledore request that the teacher's keep quiet about it?"

"He did, Hermione, but Professor Dumbledore trusted them to 'keep quiet about it', rather than put it in my contract or have anyone vowed to silence. This time tomorrow Dumbledore will have a stack of complaints as tall as Ron, and the board of governors will be on their way to insist that I'm sacked."

"But _why_?" they asked, outraged.

"Parents will not want a werewolf teaching their children. I'm dangerous and I proved it again last night, I could've bitten any of you. That can't happen again."

"But you're the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had!" said Harry, hotly. "Just because you— you have a little problem doesn't mean you have to leave!"

Lupin chuckled. He called for a house elf, "Dippy, could you please bring use some tea and cakes?"

"Yes sirs and misses! I's is being right back!" He disappeared with a much softer pop! than Dobby.

A minute later he was back with a beautiful tea tray, Ron immediately stuffed a Danish into his mouth, while everyone else fixed themselves tea and a plate, in a more restrained fashion.

Lupin took a sip of tea, he seemed to gather strength from it. "You remind me so much of your parents, Harry. I know it annoys you that people are constantly telling you how much you look like James, but sometimes you say things that are almost verbatim what Lily would've said."

Harry shifted, nervous. He knew that if anyone had a right to know about his vision, it was Lupin, but it had been hard enough to say once.

"Professor Lupin…" he began.

"Please, Harry, and all of you, call me Remus. I'm no longer your Professor, and I think you've earned that right."

"Er…Remus, last night, I don't know if Dumbledore told you what happened…"

Remus cast a privacy ward towards the door before replying. "He told me about you and Hermione's role in helping Sirius escape. I can't express how proud I am of what you did."

"Thank you, sir." He blushed. "But there's more to it than that…more than what Dumbledore knows happened. I…" He trailed off, unsure if he could trust Remus.

Lupin seemed to guess what he was thinking. "Harry, I am no longer your teacher, so I'm no longer obligated to tell Professor Dumbledore about the going-ons in the school. As long as no one is in danger, that is."

"Okay, er, well, no one's in danger, I swear. Last night, when Hermione and I, uh, went back in time, we met up with Ginny, and we helped Sirius and Buckbeak escape,"

"I was told about that much." Remus interjected.

"Well, there's more. We captured Pettigrew, and er…" Lupin's expression was ecstatic, but also a little predatory. Harry pushed on. "I also, uh, spoke to my parents."

Lupin looked at him, dumbstruck.

"I know it sounds insane, and maybe I am, but after I got knocked out by the dementors, I had a, a sort of vision. My parents were there, and they told me all sorts of things, about Hermione's Time Turner, and uh, that I had a binding on my magic, and how to catch Pettigrew and free Sirius. They told me, well, they told me not to trust Dumbledore, that he was keeping too many secrets and people were hurt because of it."

Lupin's eyes looked watery. "You're not insane, Harry, and I believe you. Those we love never truly leave us, and nothing is truly impossible. Do you think it's a coincidence that your Patronus is a stag? Your parents are alive in you, and they shows themselves when you most have need of them."

Harry sighed in relief, his body relaxing. He hadn't realized how tense telling Remus about his vision had made him. It felt wonderful that they believed him; after the whole 'hearing voices' thing in second year, anything that made him different, made him nervous. Especially hearing, or seeing, things others couldn't.

"Thank you." said Harry.

They continued in silence for a little longer, sipping tea, and nibbling at pastries, when there was a knock on the door. Lupin took down the ward and opened the door, letting Dumbledore enter.

"Remus, your carriage is at the gates, would you like some help with your things?"

"No, no, I'll manage. Come in, I was just having tea with Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione."

Dumbledore drew up a squashy armchair with his wand and joined them, while Lupin hastily packed the last of his things. He picked up the Marauder's Map, and drew a bundle of silvery material from his pocket.

"Here, Harry, I retrieved your cloak for you this morning. And since I'm no longer a Professor, I feel no guilt at returning this to you," he gestured towards the map. "I think James would've been quite distressed if his son never got into a bit of mischief." He winked.

Hermione looked worriedly towards Professor Dumbledore, who was examining the walls with great interest, twiddling his thumbs.

Lupin closed his truck. "Well, goodbye. It was most excellent to get to know you, Harry. And you, Hermione, Ginny, Ron. Look after Harry, will you?"

Hermione nodded seriously at him.

Harry stood up, he went to shake Lupin's hand, but thought different of it, and threw his arms around Lupin's middle, hugging him. Lupin froze, and then hugged him back for a long moment before stepping back. "Harry, I have no doubt I'll be seeing you again, and I'll write you. That is, if you want…" He trailed off, seeming unsure.

"Of course…Remus. I'll send you a letter soon." Harry felt a lump in his throat. Lupin had been the best teacher he'd ever had, and his first real connection to his parents. He didn't want him to go.

They all bid him goodbye, as Lupin left, his luggage and the grindylow tank, floating behind him.

"Is there anything else that happened last night, anything at all, that you four might want to tell me?" Dumbledore asked, rising to his feet.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably, but Harry was firm. "No sir, nothing." He replied, not quite meeting Dumbledore's gaze. He didn't like that Dumbledore always seemed to know exactly what he was thinking, his gaze was far too piercing for comfort.

Dumbledore sighed. "Alright then. Harry, my boy, you did a most excellent thing last night. You saved an innocent man from a terrible fate. You should be proud."

With that, he left them alone in the office, Ron still chewing on a pastry.

* * *

><p>Harry decided to put the afternoon, and his new knowledge, to good use. He settled in the common room, and wrote a long letter to Sirius, explaining everything that had happened in detail, and what needed to be done, reminding him several times that he promised to go to Black Manor. He asked about alerting the press to Buckbeak's escape, remembering what Fudge had said and included some other questions he had, including one about the binding on his magic. He then tried out a tricky charm that hid the letter's contents from view unless and specific password was spoken. On the now blank letter, he wrote "What would you say to an old, blank piece of parchment, if you were looking for a certain map?" He signed it, and set it to the side. Then he did something similar for Lupin, giving him more detail on what they had discussed earlier, and telling him where Sirius should be. He set the same password, figuring that'd be easy for them both to figure out. He then took off for the Owlery.<p>

Hedwig seemed annoyed that he gave Sirius's letter to a school owl, but he figured it best to not send Hedwig, she was noticeable and might attract attention to Sirius's hiding place. He sent Remus's letter with her instead. As she flew away, she cuffed the back of his head with a wing, hard. Hopefully she'd get over her anger by the time she got back, he didn't fancy being locked in his room at the Dursley's with an angry owl.

They still had over a week until the end of term, so hopefully they could start the process of getting him away from the Dursley's and he wouldn't have to spend the whole summer with them. He hoped.

That night, he laid awake in bed, comtemplating everything that had happened, but his thoughts kept returning to Ginny. She seemed so different. Well, maybe not different, but different around him. He was well aware of her fiery, funny, and kind personality, but usually every time she got near him she clammed up, becoming awkward and clumsy, and staring at him like he had three heads. Whatever had caused her to be normal around him, he was grateful. He didn't know where he'd be without her last night. He might very well have lost his soul, and Pettigrew might've escaped. The rat was currently still unconscious in his jar, and he was buried deep in Harry's trunk. He had been worried about him being unconscious, he really _didn't_ want Pettigrew dead from neglect, but Hermione told him that as long as he was petrified, he was fine. His body would just be in stasis, although he shouldn't stay that way for too long.

Unbidden, and image came to mind of Pettigrew in a little rat cage, with Crookshanks Mrs. Norris sitting just outside the bars, staring at him hungrily. With that pleasant thought, he rolled onto his side, and fell asleep.

* * *

><p>Sirius rode Buckbeak hard all through the night, to get to Black Manor, which was just outside of London. It was roughly an eight hour journey, and they only stopped twice so that Buckbeak could have water and he could relieve himself. He couldn't imagine why or how Harry knew about Black Manor and told him to go there, but it was a good idea, and he <em>had<em> promised. He would be completely safe there after he took control of the family ring and the wards, and there was plenty of room for Buckbeak to fly about, hidden and safe within the grounds.

He had failed Harry once, and he was not going to do it again. When he ran after Peter instead of finding out where Dumbledore stuck Harry, he failed him. When he didn't push harder through his misery to demand a trial, he failed him. When he didn't escape sooner, he failed him. When he allowed Hagrid to take him from his parents' house and place him with muggles, he failed him. Harry seemed to have some sort of plan, and Sirius was going to go along with it and help every step of the way.

He guided Buckbeak using the rudimentary Legilimency that he knew, and they communicated in that strange animal way for the duration of journey. All Legilimens users could communicate with animals, but very few chose to do so and even fewer could do so effectively. It helped that he was an animagus. When he was in Grim form his thoughts were much simpler, and he communicated and thought using images rather than words. Since he'd been an animagus for a long time, he was quite used to that method of thinking, and therefore was able to communicate with other animals more easily. However, if you weren't accustomed to it, it could be nigh impossible.

They approached Black Manor, he could see it, rising imperiously from the flawless grounds. Apparently the house elves were still around and as tenacious as ever. He breathed a sigh of relief that he could see it, that was a good sign and would make things much easier; it meant that the wards already accepted him and he wouldn't have to fight the magic for control. He directed Buckbeak to land just outside the gates. He prayed there wouldn't be any muggles about, he didn't have a wand and he didn't want the Magical Reversal Squad showing up outside his door about a hippogriff sighting.

They touched down gently, and Sirius slid off Buckbeak's smooth back, and nearly fell over. After hours of flying, his legs were stiff and felt more like jelly than muscle and bone. He placed a hand on the hippogriff to steady himself, before approaching the gates. The Black family crest was wrought in rod iron right in the center, and he placed his hand on it, searching until he found the tiny hollow, where one could insert a finger. He did so, and winced as it pricked his finger, assessing his blood. The gates sprang to life with a groan, swinging inwards to allow him access. He guided Buckbeak through warily. Just because they allowed him access, didn't mean he was safe from him father's paranoia. Each property the Blacks owned was warded to the hilt and it was quite dangerous to try and gain entrance if you weren't keyed in or invited.

Pops filled the air as the house-elves came to greet him. They bowed low for a long moment. Sirius suppressed a snort as Buckbeak bowed back, evidently pleased with their groveling.

"Lord Black, sirs, how's can we be serving you?"

"I need…I need to know if anyone else can access Black Manor, specifically Narcissa and Bellatrix. I also am in need of a meal, healing and strengthening potions, clothes, and a hot bath."

Two elves nodded and popped away, probably to start making some food.

"No sirs. Upon Mistress Black's death you is being the last Black and the head Lordship, so's only you's can be's here."

_Good_, he thought. _The last thing I need is a visit from old Bella, or Cissy_.

One of the house-elves, a female that he vaguely recalled being named Ding, was looking at his robes with disgust. "If you will be coming with me Master, I's will be giving you's proper attire."

He nodded to her, and instructed another elf to give Buckbeak some food and water.

Two hours later, he had been washed, properly dressed, fed, and medicated under the watchful eye of Loop, the house-elf that took care of him as a baby. Loop was quite forceful for a house-elf, she made him drink down foul potion after foul potion, and worried over his health like a new mother.

He was exhausted from everything that had happened, and flying on the back of a hippogriff for eight hours, but he decided to go ahead and take the family ring, he'd be safer for it. Then he could settle in for a good twelve hour nap.

He made his way to his father's study. He hadn't been in there since he was a boy. His father had a falling out with his mother when he was only fourteen; his father had refused to disinherit Sirius, and make Regulus the sole heir. Wallburga had packed up, and portkeyed a protesting Sirius, and a bewildered Regulus away that same night. They ended up in Grimmauld Place with Kreacher, and Sirius ran away two years later. He only saw his father a handful of times after that, before he died.. He _had_ loved his father, Orion had protected Sirius from his mother, and allowed him to form his own thoughts and opinions. It was his mother that drove him away from the family, she was a pureblood fanatic through and through, and thought the world of his younger brother. If Charlus and Dorea Potter hadn't taken him in…he might've ended up dead at his own mother's hand. When she couldn't turn him into what she wanted him to be, she became incredibly cruel, trying to run him out of the family by force.

He shook his head at the memories, trying to clear it. Ever since Azkaban he had been prone to losing his train of thought and getting lost in his own head. He was still sane when he left the prison, but it had been a close thing. If it weren't for his animagus form, he would've lost his mind completely a decade ago.

He went to the immense desk that was situated below a picture window. He rummaged in the drawers until he found what he was looking for, wands. Most Wizarding families keep a stash of wands, usually the ones of ancestors, but sometimes they were obtained through more sinister means. He groped through them, trying to find one that felt right. He finally found one that seemed a decent match, and the label that hung on it indicated it had belonged to his great-grandfather Cygnus Black. He didn't know much about the man, but his wand was in good condition and that was all that mattered.

He then tapped the mother of pearl and onyx Black family crest that was inlaid on the desk, with his new-to-him wand. The crest lifted out and hovered in the air. He reached into the compartment, for the ritual knife and head family ring. He used the knife to prick his finger, and dribble a bit of blood on the largest stone in the ring. It was absorbed, and the ring glowed faintly as he put it on. He then wiped his bloody finger on the ward keystone that was in the desk. His connection to the wards came to life, and a sense of energy hung in the back of his mind. Now, he was the secret keeper of Black Manor, and if anything happened with the wards he would know. He replaced the knife, and guided the crest back into its slot.

At some point he would have to go through everything in the desk, he knew there were important papers and information there, but he was exhausted, so he headed to his old room, and fell asleep with even taking off his shoes.

He awoke some time later, the room was pitch black and something was pecking the side of his face.

"Go 'way."

The pecking continued. He threw out a hand to push away whatever was disturbing his rest, and was met with feathers. The pecking moved to his hand. He pushed himself up and turned over so he could see his attacker. It was a brown barn owl. He fumbled with his wand, lit the lamps in the room, and took the letter from the rather obnoxious creature, and it flew away immediately.

"_Sirius,_

_What would you say to an old, blank piece of parchment, if you were looking for a certain map?_

_Hope you can figure it out,_

_Harry_"

_He's a cheeky bugger_, thought Sirius.

He tapped the parchment with his wand and said "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

A long letter in Harry's untidy scrawl appeared.

He immediately began to read, soaking up his godson's words like a starving man at a feast.

He didn't know much about Harry, honestly. He knew he was the mirror image of James, but his personality and temperament were more like Lily. He knew he was incredible on a broom, and that he was extremely unhappy with those muggles he lived with. He knew that he had had a hard life. He was extremely close to his friends, but shy and standoffish to anyone else. But he didn't know much else, and he couldn't wait to catch up on all he had missed.

He finished the letter. He swore. He swore again, making a rude comment on how Albus Dumbledore might've been raised. He hadn't questioned it at the time since he was so grateful to escape the Kiss, but why on earth would Dumbledore send two young teenagers on a quest through time to save him? All Dumbledore had to do was as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot give him sanctuary and insist on a fair trial with Veritaserum! _At least he didn't let me die_, Sirius thought bitterly. But Harry had caught Peter, and he would be a free man soon.

_I'm so sorry, James, Lily, I'm so sorry I wasn't there for him, I'm so sorry he had to have your intervention just to have his full magic. You did the hard part, now I'm going to make sure he has a loving home with fun and pranks and some damn new clothes, I swear to you_. Sirius didn't know what on earth was up with Harry's clothes, they were at least four sizes too big, and they were faded and worn. He didn't know if that was the style now, or if Harry just didn't have anything better to wear. Either way, he was going to have a proper pair of jeans if Sirius had anything to say about it.

Sirius was going to change his godson's life for the better, and he had just the plan to do it.

* * *

><p>Two days later, Harry received a reply from Sirius.<p>

"_Dear Cheeky Brat,_

_ Of course I could figure that out! Just because I've been in Azkaban for twelve years doesn't mean I've completely lost it._

_ I must say your plan is a good one, I've already sent an untraceable letter to a Barrister, who's going to approach the Ministry on behalf of Lord Black, who has been in hiding for twenty years. This Lord Black would like the matter of Sirius dealt with properly before his reintroduction to society, and feels that justice may have been misplaced._

_ Clever, eh? I didn't lie, and while the Barrister will probably have his suspicions, my gold is good and that's all he cares about. I've heard from Lupin, and I expect him to join me in Black Manor soon. Oh, and Buckbeak sends his regards. Why is a hippogriff on the run from the law? You never said why you had to rescue him._

_ Anyway, you've got your plan and I've got mine. It's going to take some time to get my freedom sorted out, and you under my guardianship. Not only that, but in case you haven't noticed, we hardly know each other. So, you're going back to the muggles, and I'm going with you. I don't know why Dumbledore keeps you there, but I'm not going to abandon you somewhere where you're so obviously unhappy. Even if the muggles don't want me there, I'll just put a strong Confundus charm on them and your bedroom, and we'll hide out together. If it comes to it, they won't even know you're there. We'll get to know each other, and you won't have to deal with the muggles if you don't want to. I'll meet you just outside King's Cross Station, I'll be disguised as a tall blond man and I'll be wearing a purple t-shirt, so don't be alarmed when I come over to you._

_ I don't know who put that binding on your magic, Harry. Your father put a limited childhood one on you when you were a few months old, but it should be long worn off by now. The reason why was funny, actually. You hated being separated from Lily, anytime she left the room and went somewhere else, you were suddenly there with her. After you popped yourself to her in the middle of Diagon Alley, she asked James to put a binding on you, he really didn't want too, he thought your antics were hilarious, but he relented eventually._

_ I'm going to go ahead and sent an owl to the Prophet about Buckbeak and I escaping in the same day. Fudge is a terrible Minister from what I can tell, though I don't know much about him. Bagnold was Minister in my day. I've been trying to catch up on all that's happened in the past twelve years, but I've barely been out a year, and most of that's been spent as a dog._

_ Speaking of owls, let me help you contact Bones once we're together. I don't want her to be able to get you or your friend in any trouble by tracing the letter back to you. I think it's a good idea to use your influence as The Boy Who Lived, but if you suddenly turn in a Death Eater who's supposed to be dead….well the questions asked would be awkward at best. Hermione could be in serious trouble for using that Time Tuner to rescue me, although why in Merlin's name a Third Year is using a Time Turner just to get to extra classes, I don't know. Time Turner's are serious business; wizards who mess too much with time almost invariably come to a sticky end. Not much is actually known about time, so lots can go wrong. I'm just glad you were careful to not be seen by yourselves directly. However, fact that you saw yourself cast that Patronus shows that you didn't do anything wrong in going back, from what my Grandfather told me (He was an Unspeakable), if you change something in time and then suddenly people's memories are all fuzzy and confused, and everybody remembers something different, you messed it up. There's also the whole theory of creating a time paradox that is doomed because it can't sustain itself on the paradox energy and then everyone is taken back to the original timeline…but I'm getting off track._

_ To be frank, Harry, I'm not entirely well. I'll understand if after we've spent some time together that you want to stay with your Aunt and Uncle, really, I want you to be __**happy**__, so don't go along with this if it's not what you want. Of course, I would like nothing better than for you to move in tomorrow, but I think it's best we wait. Azkaban's done a number on me, as I'm sure you can imagine. The house-elves of Black Manor have been fussing about ever since I've arrived, I think they make the potions taste foul on purpose, that Strengthening Solution is rough._

_ I didn't really have time to tell you earlier, but I was the one who sent you your Firebolt. I was there when you fell off your broom, but I had to run to get away from the dementors. I think it might've been my presence there that drew them to the match, so for that, I'm sorry, and I hope the Firebolt has made up for the loss of your other broomstick._

_ Thank you again for rescuing me. You and your friends are truly amazing. I hope Ron? I think his name was? The redheaded boy, I hope he's alright. Since it's sort of my fault he doesn't have a rat anymore, the owl I'm sending this with is his, if he wants it. It's a bit dodgy, but he seemed rather eager for the job, so I'm hoping he gets this to you okay._

_ -Sirus_

_P.S. Call me Snuffles when you're talking about me, and address letters to me as thus. They'll find me, and no one will overhear anything they shouldn't."_

Harry's heart swelled tremendously while reading the letter. Sirius _wanted_ him, he wanted him to be _happy_. He even seemed nervous about Harry not wanting to live with him. He was still going back to Privet Drive, but that couldn't be helped, but at least he wouldn't be alone! And he wouldn't have to see the Dursley's if he didn't want too. He supposed it would be a little cramped in his bedroom, but with some magic they'd make due. And since Sirius could apparate, they could go anywhere they pleased! Maybe they could go back to the zoo where he set that boa constrictor free, once. He'd like to see if they managed to catch him and put him back, or if he had escaped. He hoped he made it to Brazil.

He decided to never tell Hermione that she was right about who sent him the broomstick. She had been right and he had been a prat about it, but it was long over and he didn't want to go back to fighting.

The little owl that had delivered the letter was still zooming about excitedly. It was a tiny thing, just a few inches tall, and more closely resembled a feathery ball than an owl. _Ron'll be pleased_, Harry thought. _He's always wanted his own owl_.

With his seeker reflexes he grabbed the owl out of the air, and went down to the common room. He thrust the owl at Ron, who was in the middle of demolishing Neville in a game of chess. "Congratulations, it's an owl." He told him.

"What?"

"Si- er, _Padfoot_ sent me a letter with him. He says since you don't have a rat anymore, you can have him if you like."

Ron looked at the little owl, which has knocked over a few chess pieces in his excitement. "Really? I can keep him?"

Harry nodded, "That's what he said."

"Come here you ruddy bird," Ron rescued the owl from the chess pieces, which were now fighting back. "You've got to calm down. Go to the Owlery will you?" The little owl hooted excitedly and took off for an open window.

"A bit enthusiastic, isn't he?" said Neville.

"Just a bit," said Harry. "Anyway, d'you know where Hermione is? I need her help with something."

"The library, I think. Isn't she always?"

"I'll go look, thanks."

Harry exited through the portrait hole and head to the library. Despite the fact that exams were over, she could usually be found there, reading up on everything they might be tested on in the next year. He hoped that she would take a break and help him research some things.

He found her easily, buried in books, and she, of course, had already grabbed the relevant material about one of the questions he was going to ask her. She was immersed in a law book, reading up on proper trial procedure and obscure laws on aiding and abetting a prisoner that was innocent.

"From everything I've read, we can't be implicated in any way for what we did, as long as he's cleared by the Ministry in a proper trial…and as long as they don't find out about the Time Turner, though we could claim special circumstance. _And_ if they follow their own laws, they can't do anything to him for escaping, since he never had a trial in the first place. I've looked up old articles on his arrest, there really wasn't a case against him except the fact that he was at the scene of the crime, and hearsay. Dumbledore was the one who said he was Secret-Keeper for your parents. They don't even have actual charges filed against him, they just arrested him and sent him to Azkaban, all in the same day. It's a horrible lack of justice and there are _so_ many procedures and protocols that weren't followed. It's ridiculous! The laws are all there, everyone has a right to a trial, they can request the use of Veritaserum, or appeal for it not to be used, they can argue for a closed court, they're allowed witnesses and a defense…I can't _believe_ they just chucked him in prison and didn't think about it again! How many other people has this happened to?!"

He heartily agreed with her. "I'm glad he can't be arrested for escaping, that would really be awful, but he's escaped and we're going to clear him, it's okay Hermione!"

"It most certainly is _not_ okay, Harry. Really, if a case this high profile was just swept under the rug, I almost guarantee it's happened to others! What kind of government allows this to happen to people? Where else is justice not being done in the system? How many of their own laws are they overlooking, or ignoring?"

"Er, I don't know, Hermione…" he trailed off, he wanted to ask her about magical bindings, the idea that someone put some spell on him to limit his own magic and just left it there was really bothering him. His newfound ease of magic felt amazing, and he was kind of angry that he hadn't had it before. He wanted to know more about them and see if there was a way to be sure it was really gone. He didn't want anyone putting spells on him with his knowledge.

However, she seemed fully engrossed in Sirius's miscarriage of justice, so he left her to it, and went to explore the library on his own. _Would it be under M or B, probably B…Bindings…bindings…How to Bind Your Own Books…Binding Yourself to Your Mate…In a Bind? 1001 Cures and Solutions for the Problems of an Everyday Wizard, that one might be useful for me, maybe I should order a copy, _he thought._ From Binding to Bound: Knot Charms for Your Every Day Needs…I don't see anything, I'm probably not looking it up right…I could ask Madam Prince, but she might just chase me out of the library. My Dad said something about Madam Pomfrey scanning for it, so maybe a Healing book?_

He moved on to the H's. _The Healing Guide to Mending Household Injuries…Healing Severe Spell Damage: Don't Make it Worse!…Want to Be a Healer? All You Need to Know!…The Big Book of Healing and Body Magic, oh that must have something, it's nearly as big as I am!_ He pulled the large tome off the shelf, and began to read.

"Chapter 154: Magical Bindings and Their Applications

Magical Bindings are a very complicated branch of Healing magic. They are typically used in cases where an individual has little to no control over their magic, possibly due to mental distress or an illness (See Chapter 37: How Illness Affects Magic). Other common applications include: childhood magical bindings, these are generally light and can be applied by a parent if they are well trained and have knowledge of Healing (See section 3 below on Childhood Magical Binding spells and their use; See also Chapter 12: Magical Development and the Body). Childhood Magical Binding spells usually wear off by age 8, and they do so gradually to prevent any magical backlash. The Ministry also puts a magical binding spell on Muggle-born children whose parents do not want them magically educated. These bindings are long term, they're meant to last for an entire life span, and not allow any magic through. These bindings must be done by a Ministry approved certified Healer (See Chapter 4: Careers in Healing), as they can be quite dangerous to apply, and have disastrous effects if not done properly. The last type of binding is one occasionally put on particularly powerful Muggle-born children who have a lot of accidental magic. This also must be applied by a Ministry approved certified Healer. It limits their power, and the witch or wizard who is applying it can control how much magic bleeds though. This is so that the child still has access to their magical core in the event of an emergency. This type of binding lasts until it is removed, though there have been cases where they were done improperly and wore off, or were unable to be removed completely.

Section 1: History of Magical Bindings

In 1444, Alexandre Augustine Arnaud…"

Harry skimmed the pages, looking for spells that would help detect a magical binding.

"…of the most basic detection spells _aestimare magicae_ (To detect the current amount of available magic) and _magicae vires reperio totus_ (to measure the entire core when at full power) can be used in conjuncture with _invenit magicae ligatum_ (Which measures bound magic) can be used for a rudimentary assessment of a patients magical levels and if it is bound. However, reading the result from these spells is complicated and readings should always be double checked. For more information see Chapter 28: Diagnosing Competently, Section 21: Measuring Magic)."

Harry scribbled down the spells and what they did, before turning to chapter twenty-eight.

"Section 21: Measuring Magic

Measuring a patients magic is, fundamentally, an imprecise art, that has had little improvement in the past 500 years. Magic isn't a logical, reasonable thing, and therefore it rejects being measured or counted in an accurate and stable manner, consistently. Not only are you measuring how much of it is there, but you're also measuring magical potential, and how powerful someone's particular magic may be in that given moment. Since we know that certain emotional states can make magic more or less powerful, it's best to always measure a patients magic when they are in a deep relaxed sleep. Dreamless Sleep potion is excellent for this and that's one of the reasons why it's in the top ten most used potions in Healing. If you measure a patients magic while they're awake it's going to be strongly affected by their condition and emotions, if they're in a restless sleep the result is similar. However, if a patient is unconscious or comatose, but stable, the readings should be fairly accurate, just a bit subdued.

Reading these diagnostic spells is a tricky business. You're reading an individual's magic, using your own magic, so your own magic is going to affect the readings, and you have to account for it. For example, for one author if this book, when someone's magic is completely drained, the resulting aura that come from the spell is a deep blue. The other author sees a grey aura. However, there is a general scale, and with much practice and comparing notes with your peers, you will be able to figure out for yourself how your magic affects the scale.

Detecting the Current Amount of Available Magic and Magic Health (_aestimare magicae_):

Bright/Vivid Orange/Yellow/Green Auras: Magic is at full capacity or nearly.

Bright/Vivid Blues and Purples: Magic is about half used, normal use.

Greys and Grey Tinged Colors: Magic is half to three-quarters used and person is fighting illness, healing from trauma, or dealing with severe mental distress.

Sickly or Dull Colors: Magic is at full capacity or nearly, but an illness is drawing upon it. This can be an indicator of a magical illness or Dark curse. The aura may even flicker, and it might be quite dim.

Grey: Magic is nearly completely exhausted, and person is likely ill.

Red: Magic is completely exhausted and person is in danger of dying if it is not quickly treated.

Black: Magic is gone, and the person is dead.

Detecting Power Levels at Full Capacity (_magicae vires reperio totus_):

With this spell, you're getting a glimpse at someone's actual magical core. People's magical cores are as unique as fingerprints, so each one will be different. Color isn't quite as important as brightness, intensity, and largeness.

Muggles/Squibs: Despite belief to the contrary, Muggles have magical cores. Some Muggles can even do small bits of magic when using highly tuned and powerful wands (See Chapter 177: Muggle Medicine and Magic) An aura that is barely visible, within 1 centimeter of the body, and flickers is typical of a Muggle or Squib.

Low Powered Wizards: Low powered witches and wizards have an aura that is visible, but not bright, and is within 1-3 centimeters of the body. It may or may not flicker.

Medium Powered Wizards: This is the most common aura; it is within 3-7 centimeters of the body. It should be nearly as bright as a candle, and it shouldn't flicker at all.

High Powered Wizards: The aura should be quite bright, and within 7-12 centimeters of the body. It may have rays that shoot out several centimeters further and pulsate.

Extremely Highly Powered Wizards: Performing this spell on an extremely highly powered wizard can result in eye damage, however, wizards with power levels this high are quite rare. Notable examples include Gellert Grindlewald, Albus Dumbledore, and The Founders of Hogwarts. It is rumored that when a similar spell was tried on Godric Gryffindor as a young boy the caster was actually blinded. The aura will be 13 or more centimeters from the body, and too bright to look at. It will have rays that reach out for up to several meters."

Harry blinked, absorbing all the new information. He hadn't realized how much went into healing. _Why don't they teach this stuff at Hogwarts?_ He wondered.

Slipping a scrap of parchment in the book to mark his place, he stood up and went check it out with Madam Prince. Other than books about Quidditch, he had never really taken out any books that weren't for school. When he was younger, he used to love the classroom libraries in his primary school; he would take home at least a book at week, sneaking it into his cupboard to read at night. He grinned at the irony, he used to love books about fantastic places and magical happenings, but he never in his wildest dreams thought it could be a reality. Now, he was living something stranger than he'd ever read in a fantasy book.

Later that night, after dinner, He, Ron Hermione, and Ginny gathered in a corner in the common room. He explained everything he'd learned about bindings, and his worry that he still had one on him.

"It shouldn't be a problem to cast the spells, and I know of another spell that can be cast to detect what spells are currently active on someone, so you might want to do that one as well," Hermione said. "I can do it and write down the results, no problem. But how are we going to get some Dreamless Sleep potion before the end of term? I could make it, but it needs a week to stew, so we'd be cutting it quite close, and if anything went wrong we'd practically have to do it on the train."

"…Why don't you just ask for some from Madam Pomfrey?" Ginny asked, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Just tell her you're having trouble sleeping or that you have nightmares or something."

Harry blushed. "I didn't…I didn't know we could do that. I guess I could ask her, but I never have before. Wouldn't that be a little suspicious?" He also didn't like the idea of telling someone that he had nightmares. It was embarrassing.

"Oh I'll do it. I've had to ask her before; it's really no big deal. I'll go before curfew tonight."

"Why've you had nightmares? You never said anything to me!" Ron asked.

"Oh honestly Ron, she was only possessed by You-Know-Who for nearly a year, then almost died! It's not as if that might affect someone, or anything." Hermione replied rolling her eyes.

Ginny paled, and she stood up quickly. "I'll-I'll just go ahead and go now." She practically fled the room, the portrait banging shut behind her.

"Excellent job Hermione, really, now look what you've done!" Ron told her heatedly.

"Well she's your sister and you seem to have completely forgotten what happened to her! She's doing better now, but I didn't see you there for her last year, or this! She went through a horrible ordeal and you just acted like it never happened!"

"Well at least I didn't bring it up in front of her! Did you see her face! You better tell her you're sorry—"

"Well she's got to talk about it or she'll never move past it! Really, do you not use your head…"

Harry got up, edging away from Ron and Hermione's argument. Evidentially Ginny _wasn't_ past what happened in the Chamber, and he felt bad. He waited a moment to see if they'd noticed him get up, when they didn't, he left the common room, closing the door softly behind him. He started toward the hospital wing, hoping that Ginny had taken the most direct route.

When he arrived at the double doors, they were cracked open. Peering in, he could see Ginny, sitting on one of the beds, her head in her hands. Her fiery hair was spilled out around her, and Madam Pomfrey was rubbing her back, saying something to her in a low voice. Harry felt a rush of anger towards Hermione, but he knew, in some way, that she was right. But it didn't mean she had to bring what happened up unexpectedly, that wasn't fair to Ginny. She deserved to deal with it on her terms.

He just stood there, watching Ginny cry for several minutes. Then, realizing how weird that was, he moved to sit by the door. He'd wait for her to come out, and ask her if she wanted to talk, and listen.

But by the time Ginny had emerged, carrying not one, but several flasks of Dreamless Sleep potion, his nerve had nearly failed him.

He stood up. "Er- Hi Ginny, are you, uh, okay?"

She flushed, her face already red from crying, but didn't say anything.

They stood there awkwardly for several moments. "I'm, er, sorry about Hermione and uh, I guess Ron too. And I'm sorry that I was… that I never asked you how you were doing. I uh, guess I just didn't realize that, er, you might want to talk about it. If you do, you know, want to talk about it, I would, uh, not like that, but uh, be willing to?" He realized how stupid he sounded. "Look I'm sorry I'm not very good at this. I don't want to assume that you even want to talk about it, and if you do that you want to talk to me, but if you, er do, that's fine, and if you don't then I'll just shut up now…" He felt like an idiot. Why would she want to talk to him? He didn't know what to say to her any way, and what if all he did was remind her of what happened? He was thick for thinking he could help.

She stuffed the flasks in her pockets and stepped forward and hugged him fiercely. He could feel her crying against his shoulder. _Oh no, what did I do wrong?_ He thought desperately. He put his arms around her, and rubbed her back like he saw Madam Pomfrey do. "I'm so sorry Ginny, I didn't mean to make you start crying again. Shh, it's okay." He felt oddly protective over her, like he wanted nothing more than to shout at Hermione like Ron had. How dare she throw that in Ginny's face? Didn't she see how upset it made her? He hugged her more tightly, "If it would make you feel better, I'll help you prank Hermione. Maybe we could curse her so that she couldn't read anything for a day. I don't know of anything that could do that, but I bet the twins do." He felt, rather than heard, her chuckle.

She finally pulled away. "I'm sorry Harry, I didn't mean to just lose it. I've been doing fine, honestly, and then it all just hit me. Hermione's just trying to help, but honestly sometimes she's worse than Ron. Oh look, you're all wet." She blushed again, then cast a drying spell on his shoulder.

"It's alright Ginny, really. Honestly I've been a prat. I should've talked to you about this sooner."

"It's okay, really. I'll forgive you, it's not really your fault anyway, Ron's such a prat the people nearest are actually affected by his stupidity. Did you mean what you said about pranking Hermione? Because I've always wanted to do just that."

He laughed, and they plotted and joked all the way back to Gryffindor Tower.

* * *

><p>Hermione was in such a mood when they got back, that they nearly turned right back around and left again. She was being more overbearing than usual, trying to force both Harry and Ginny to open up about the chamber and other things, probably in an effort to prove herself right to Ron. Ginny ended up shouting at her, and she ran off to her dormitory, crying.<p>

"Well, I guess I didn't mean to make her cry, but really! How dare she insinuate that I might need to be put in St. Mungo's just because I don't want to confide everything I've ever felt to her?"

"At least she didn't tell you that you were emotionally stunted and that you are basically still a child!" Harry replied. They were idly played a game of exploding snap, a borrowed book of prank potions, charms, and curses lying open on the table. Ron had long disappeared behind the hangings on his bed, declaring that Hermione was a nutter and that he wasn't putting up with her anymore. Neither Harry nor Ginny asked what he meant by that.

Ginny laughed. "She seems to think since she's read a book on mind healing suddenly she's qualified to examine all of us. I don't even want to know what she said to Ron."

"Me either. I know that bickering is normal, but sometimes they drive me barmy. It's like they're intentionally trying to set the other one off. I swear, they're not happy unless they're fighting."

"I'm just waiting for them to realize they fancy each other. Fred, George and I have a bet going on when it's going to come out into the open. Fred seems to think it'll be when another girl shows interest in Ron, but Hermione's too stubborn for that. I think it'll be after Hermione's first boyfriend."

Harry sputtered, "_Fancy_ each other? You've got to be joking, there's no way!"

"Oh Harry, you really are blind aren't you? Of course they fancy each other! Hermione's even admitted it to me, but Ron's far too dense to see it. It's why they bicker all the time, but are still friends."

"Oh." He hadn't thought of it like that, but it did sort of make sense, in a weird girl way. "But they're so different, the only thing they have in common is stubbornness, and that's not exactly a good thing."

Ginny shrugged, "People like who they like, they'll either make it work or they won't."

After Ginny had beaten him soundly, they headed up to his dorm. Everyone was asleep, and Ginny cast a silencing charm so they would be woken up, then she snuck around and closed Dean's bed hangings, just in case. Harry emerged from the bathroom in his pajamas, and she handed him a flask of purple potion. "Bottoms up!" he said cheerily, downing it.

He settled into his bed, and waited for the potion to take effect. "Remember to do all the spells I found at least twice and write down what happens. Maybe do the spell detector one three times, just to be safe…" he yawned. "T-Thank you Ginny…Night…" His eyes shut, and his breathing evened out. Soon he was fast asleep.

Ginny waited a moment; to be sure he was out. Then she pulled out her wand, and with careful pronunciation, cast the first spell…

* * *

><p>Harry awoke early the next morning, quite refreshed. It had been kind of weird the night before, falling asleep on Ginny so that she could cast various spells at him, but since she hadn't woken him up, and he felt normal, it must've gone okay. There was still a chorus of snores in the room, but he went ahead and got dressed, grabbed the healing book, and headed down to breakfast.<p>

The Great Hall was nearly empty, there were a few Ravenclaws buried in books, and Professor Sinstra was snoring into a cup of coffee at the staff table. He settled into his usual spot with some scrambled eggs on toast and tea, while he read about various aspects of healing, and waited for Ginny to wake up so he could find out how it went.

Nearly an hour later, she stumbled in, looking exhausted and grumpy, she slumped down in the seat next to him. She fixed herself a cup of coffee, and sat there, sipping at it, blearily. After she had finished one cup, she seemed to wake up, and be a little more open to human contact.

"Morning Ginny."

"Mornin' Harry." She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out some parchment, and threw it at him. "You nearly blinded me last night, you're lucky I was expecting your aura to be bright!"

"I what? What do you mean?"

"I mean," she said testily, "that you're a powerful wizard. The spell that measures full power, your aura was so bright I couldn't look at it. I'm amazed it didn't wake anyone up."

"Oh." He felt bewildered. Sure he had noticed an increase in magic, and magic seemed to come a lot easier for him now, but she had to be exaggerating. He certainly was no Dumbledore.

He started to read her notes on what had happened, there was no binding, his aura was a bright white with green, his power was "stupidly bright, you prat, couldn't you just be average for once?", and he apparently had a tracking spell on him. He shivered. Who would want to track his whereabouts? Or was this a standard thing for all wizards and witches? If it was, why couldn't they just track Sirius?

"Ginny, what do you know about tracking spells?"

"They're illegal. Well, mostly illegal. You have to get Ministry approval to put one on someone. Mum had one on Fred and George when they were little, it took her six months to get it approved, and they only approved it because they kept getting into the muggle village and doing magic. She had to take it off when they turned eleven, she wasn't pleased about it." She said through bites of toast. "If yours is legal, there'll be a record of it at the Ministry, but since you're older than eleven, they should've notified you of it and asked you consent for it to remain. Maybe it's from Tom?"

"No, I don't think so. I think…" he looked around, making sure Dumbledore hadn't arrived at breakfast when he wasn't looking. "I think Dumbledore put it on me, my parents said not to trust him." He said in an undertone, leaning closer to Ginny.

She looked startled. "You might be right."

They returned to silence. When Harry next looked up from a chapter on body morphing, Hermione was sitting across from them, carefully avoided looking at them. He wasn't sure if he should say something to her, or let her approach first. He turned to Ginny, to see if she had noticed Hermione yet. She had. She was watching her like the way a cat watches a bird. _Oh no_, Harry thought. _Ginny must've pranked her. If she really did make it so she can't read for an entire day, I better go get the invisibility cloak and hide!_ He too, started watching Hermione, glancing up at her between paragraphs, but she remained studiously silent, and didn't seem to be suffering any adverse effects yet.

It wasn't until they all got back to the common room and Hermione tried to get a head start on her summer homework that something happened. And Hermione wasn't just upset, no, after she asked somebody if they could read the sheet of parchment she handed them she cast numerous spells on it. When the text still didn't clear, she did a 'finite incantantum' on herself. Nothing happened. It was at that point that she marched over to the twins and yelled "This is not _funny_! Put my eyesight back, NOW!" The twins looked at each other, confused.

"Did you?"

"No, you?"

"Naw. Hermione, just because—"

"—we've been known to—"

"—have a little fun, doesn't mean—"

"—that everything—"

"—is our fault, you know."

"You fix what you did _now_, or so help me this time tomorrow you will wish you two had never been born." Hermione hissed at them.

"Hermione—"

"Dearest Hermione—"

"You've really—"

"—no idea—"

"—who you're going—"

"—up against—"

"—do you?" The twins finished, in unison.

"You think I can't prank just because I prefer doing something more constructive with my time? Fine! Be glad that there's two of you so you can watch each other's backs! Before the school year is out you're going to be begging me for mercy!" And with that, she marched up the stairs to her dorm.

The entire common room was silent, everyone had stopped what they were doing to listen in on the drama. From upstairs, there was a short scream of frustration. Upon hearing it, everyone burst out laughing, even Fred and George.

"We didn't do it—"

"Honest."

"But whoever did—"

"—you're brilliant!" They told the room at large.

Ginny's eyes were streaming, she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Harry kind of felt bad for Hermione, but after a moment, he gave in and laughed too. Not so much at her frustration, but at her immediately blaming the twins, and swearing revenge. Hermione could be downright devious, but she didn't have too much of a sense of humor. He couldn't wait to see what she came up with.

* * *

><p>And that's the end of chapter two! I wanted to post it sooner, but it's rather long so I hope that makes up for it. Up next, Sirius torments the Dursley's! Hermione finds her inner prankster! And Harry gets some new clothes! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and don't worry, events will soon be moving apace, and questions will be answered. I have decided that soul bonds will make an appearance in this story, but not until much later on. Please review, in some areas of this chapter I struggled, and while I've edited and edited, I'm lacking a second pair of eyes to help me out.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3- New Freedoms

Ritual Disclaimer: Harry Potter ain't mine, but look what I've done with it, isn't it divine? (I'm not sure why people do these disclaimers, but if you want one on every chapter, expect mine to be bad rhymes.)

This is going to be the 'shopping trip' chapter. I am always a big fan of those in fics, so I hope I'm able to convey it accordingly.

Content warning: Discussions of abuse are in this chapter

Chapter Three: New Freedoms

Harry had to hand it to Hermione, she was sure letting the twins sweat. This morning, when they tried to do a timed switching spell on her robes and a chicken costume…the finesse with which she deflected the prank was incredible. She had brushed the spell off onto Snape, while still leading him to punish the twins. They were currently spending their evenings pickling frog liver and milking eels in the dungeons. Without gloves.

It had been four days since she initiated her challenge, and while she hadn't done anything yet, she walked around with a satisfied smirk playing on her lips. She had been side stepping pranks as if she had turned into a Seer overnight. The twins couldn't touch her and she didn't seem to be the least bit concerned that she only had a day left within which to prank them, unless she was waiting for the train ride home.

She had made up with Harry, Ginny, and Ron, so they were enjoying the last days of term together, playing games in the common room, taking turns on Harry's Firebolt, and hanging out with Hagrid. The exam results had finally all been posted, and the foursome had done rather well, Ginny and Hermione especially. Harry had been quite nervous for his Potions grade, but it seemed Dumbledore had prevented Snape from failing him completely. Snape's demeanor towards Harry had been downright scary since Sirius's escape. McGonagall had stepped in several times to stop Snape from unfairly punishing Harry for activities such as breathing 'in an insolent manner', eating noisily, and 'strutting with insipid purpose'. Every time Snape laid eyes on Harry his fingers twitched and clutched at air as if he'd like nothing more than to place them around his throat.

Despite the fun that the foursome was having, Harry could hardly wait for the summer holidays. He was still going back to the Dursley's, yes, but Sirius was going with him! He wasn't being exiled to chores and starvation, he would have an adult who cared about him, someone on his side, someone who might even love him. Harry hadn't had anyone like that in living memory, and he could barely believe his luck. He, Sirius and Remus were exchanging letters daily, Hedwig was getting quite the workout. Sirius had all sorts of fun plans for the break, and Remus had lessons planned to help Harry better integrate with the Wizarding world and protect himself. They also spoke of clearing Sirius's name, and what else they needed to do in what they were now calling the 'Potter-Black-Lupin Plan to Take Over the World and Have Lots of Fun'. Sirius had come up with the title of course.

A few letters wasn't much, but Harry already felt a strong affection for his Godfather. He was funny and open, but deeply scarred from his experiences in prison. Despite his own poor health, he fretted over Harry and never forgot to include some story or memento of Harry's parents in his letters. Sirius was livid that Harry hadn't even seen his parents until he found the Mirror of Erised in his first year, much less heard anything about them. He wasted no time in telling Harry all about them, that his Dad wanted to play Quidditch professionally, but took a job as a Hit Wizard to help out with the war along with Sirius, and that his Mum was a spell developer and researcher for St. Mungo's, she researched rare cures and invented new ones to help heal people. She was single handedly responsible for the Albervine Potion, which cures Albers, a Wizarding disease that is rare, but has debilitating effects, as it causes the casting of spells to become quite painful. Before the invention, wizards and witches afflicted with the disease had to live their lives as Squibs, unable to do very much magic. He was so proud of his mum, she cured a whole disease, and she was only nineteen when she made the discovery!

Sirius had also promised to take him to Potter Mansion, there was a Wizarding portrait of his parents there, so he'd actually be able to talk to them! They weren't really his parents, but it would be nice all the same.

Harry was spending the afternoon in the library. He had gone to Professor McGonagall a few days ago and asked her about taking books home for the summer; apparently it was perfectly fine, he could take up to ten books, and they were due back a week after the start of term. He didn't see a point in taking books home before, because he wouldn't be able to read them anyway with his trunk locked up. Now, however, even if the Dursley's locked it up, Sirius could just magic it out! So far he had picked out an interesting book on Defensive magic, a book about something called 'mind magic', and a fiction book about dragon riders. He was rather embarrassed to admit that he didn't realize that there were 'for-pleasure' reading books in the library, but once he found them he couldn't wait to see what wizards considered 'fantasy' novels.

He found a deserted table where he could peruse his newest selections, starting with a guide to the wizarding world that was written by a muggleborn. So far the book seemed fascinating, it covered all that information that wizards seemed to think 'everyone knew' so they didn't bother to tell you. He had just started skimming the seventh chapter (Navigating the Wizarding World- There's More?), when someone plopped down opposite him, dumping their things on the table.

"Harry! I just got a letter from Dad and guess what?" Ron said, excitedly waving a piece of parchment at him.

"What? Did he say anything about how much trouble the twins are in? Because I know McGonagall wrote home…"

"No! Well yeah, but that's not the point! Dad got us tickets for the World Cup!"

"The what?"

"Oh come on Harry, the Quidditch World Cup! Surely I've told you 'bout it. England hasn't hosted in like thirty years, it's between Bulgaria and Ireland, should be quite the match! So what do you say?"

"That sounds amazing Ron, but shouldn't I ask Snuffles? Actually, I think he may've said something about going to a Quidditch match, maybe he meant the Cup."

"This is more than just any old match Harry! Bulgaria has the best seeker in the world, but Ireland's chasers are a force to be reckoned with, I mean between Mullet and Moran—"

Ron had evidently been talking far too loudly, as Madam Prince came over and shooed them out of the library, charming their books and bags to chase them out.

"Sorry Harry," said Ron, who was panting and leaning up against a wall, while trying to fend off one of his textbooks. "But, I mean, it's the World Cup! You have to come!"

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be there…I just want to spend some time with Siri-Snuffles." He corrected himself quickly.

"Well you better! This ought to be the match of a lifetime! And it's really difficult to get tickets, Dad only managed to get so many because he helped Ludo Bagman out of a tricky spot a few weeks ago."

"Who's Ludo Bagman?"

"Oh, he's the head of the Magical Games and Sports department at the ministry. He's a great guy, used to play professionally himself, for the Wimbourne Wasps as a beater. He was a fantastic player…"

Ron continued to inform Harry about every aspect of Bagman's Quidditch career before continuing speculation on the World Cup as they made their way down to dinner. Hermione was already there, buried deep in an O.W.L. review guide.

"Hermione…we don't take our O.W.L's for two years…" Harry commented, tentatively, as he filled a plate.

"I know that, Harry. I'm trying to decide if I should drop Muggle Studies. I can't handle another year like this one, the Time Turner is driving me mad. If I drop one more class I can have a normal schedule, but I really want to get a N.E.W.T. in Muggle Studies."

"I think it's an excellent idea for you to go back to a normal schedule again, but it's a shame that you have to hand in the Time Turner…oh I know it's not to be used frivolously, but don't you think something that that would come in handy for the, er, _adventures_ we seem to get in?"

"Yes…yes it would at that." Hermione replied, looking speculative. "But regardless, I've got to hand it in once I've figured out what to drop. It's just so hard to choose! I really enjoy Muggle Studies, we have some of the best discussions in our class…"

"You do know that you're muggleborn, don't you? You know all about eklectricity and screw-divers, you don't need to take the class!" Ron chimed in.

"Oh honestly Ron," said Hermione, rolling her eyes. "You should take Muggle Studies! It's not too late to start the class, I'll even help you study."

"No thanks. I'm perfectly fine with what I'm taking." Ron said, going back to his sandwich.

"He's right, you know. You do know all about being a muggle, and I'm certain that with some revision before the test you'll easily earn an Outstanding. I'll even take it with you if that'll make you feel better. I've seen your homework, and it's nothing you and I don't already know."

"Oh…I suppose you have a point. I just don't want to limit myself. It's very hard to get a job as a muggleborn you know. The more qualifications I've got the more choices I'll have."

"You're fourteen, Hermione. Don't you think it's a bit premature to be worried about your job prospects?"

"Not really. Do you realize that we are nearly half way through our schooling? Unless of course we continue our education after Hogwarts, but still, the fact remains that in four years we will be considered fully qualified adult witches and wizards. That's not very much time!"

Harry stared at her, wide eyed. Only four more years? Suddenly it didn't seem like near enough time. Surely they've made a mistake? He barely felt qualified to be finishing his third year, much less starting his fourth. Had he learned enough?

Hermione evidently could read his thoughts on his face. "Don't worry, Harry. You did quite well on all your exams. And it's never too late to change your schedule. Personally I think Arithmancy and Ancient Runes have much more practical applications than Divination…but it's an O.W.L. nonetheless."

Harry hadn't really thought about whether Divination was practical for getting a job. He'd discuss changing his schedule with Sirius, or better yet, Remus. Maybe they would have some advice. "Honestly Hermione I never really gave it any thought. I don't have any idea about what I want to be or anything!"

"You should talk to McGonagall next semester; she does the career counseling for Gryffindor and is really helpful!"

He nodded at her, and continued picking at his food. When he had thought he was going to go to Stonewall High, his only goal was to get a job as soon as he turned fifteen so he could save up and move out. He hadn't given it much thought past that, he just figured he would do whatever everyone else did. He did really enjoy that book about Healing…but could he be a Healer? It sounded like it was very difficult, and it required good grades to even get into the training.

Harry went to bed several hours later with his mind still buzzing full of career options. Hermione had lent him a book of Wizarding careers, and many of them sounded fascinating. He especially liked the idea of being a professional Quidditch player, but it was really hard to get accepted into one of the teams, even as a reserve.

That night he dreamed he was playing in the World Cup, but McGonagall had confiscated his broom and wouldn't give it back so he had to ask Ginny if he could borrow hers but she was using it to play opposite him. When the game started he still didn't have a broom, so he had to run around on the field and jump to try and catch the snitch, and it was always just a few centimeters out of his grasp. Every time he would miss Snape would laugh at him and tell him that 'fame isn't everything Potter!'

He woke the next morning disoriented, and late for breakfast. Rushing through his morning routine, he headed down the steps. As he turned to enter the common room, he nearly ran straight into Ginny, who looked about as tired as he felt.

"You're not a morning person, are you, Gin?" He asked her, grinning.

She glared at him, but walked down to breakfast next to him anyway. When they sat down in their usual places, she moaned, realizing the coffee pot was too far to reach. Taking pity on her, Harry got up, retrieved it, and poured her a cup. She smiled her thanks, as they both started into their breakfasts.

"Where're Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked her, after they had both woken up a little more.

"They got an early start so they could work on the summer homework together." Ginny said, and then made a face. "Hermione tried to get me up to go with them too."

Harry gaped at her. "You mean Ron got up early to do homework? Homework that's not due for three months?"

"Well," Ginny said, taking a sip of her coffee. "He knows that he needs her help on most of it, so I guess he's finally thinking ahead and starting now, rather than waiting for halfway through August for her to rescue him."

Harry shook his head and went back to his bacon.

"Say, Harry, has Hermione told you anything about this prank she's planning?"

"No, not a word. I think it's going to be tonight, though. Yesterday she kept making little comments about the leaving feast."

"Hmm…" said Ginny, tapping a spoon on the table. "It'd be hard to do something during the feast, especially without getting caught, but the twins usually get the blame no matter what. It actually makes it easier to prank, because people always just assume that it was them."

"I guess you're right, even Hermione blamed the twins, when it was really you who did it." He gave her a speculative look. "Has that ever happened before? The twins getting the blame for something you did, I mean."

Ginny just smiled at him and drained her cup.

Since neither Harry, nor Ginny really felt like studying, they decided to walk down and visit Hagrid one more time before they left the next day.

Hagrid opened the door shortly after they knocked with a cheery hello. He fixed them tea and set a plate of rock cakes in front of them.

"So where're Ron and Hermione? S'not often you three are separated." He asked Harry.

"They're getting a head start on the summer homework. Hermione will be finished before the holidays really start, at the rate she's going." Harry told him with a grin

"It's just her way." said Hagrid wisely. "It's good ter see yeh anyway, 'specially you Ginny. How have you been getting along? Yeh haven't been to visit as much lately."

Ginny blushed. "I'm okay, Hagrid. I'm sorry I haven't been to visit as much, exams and helping Fred and George has kept me pretty busy."

"That's all right, I've just bin worried 'bout ya. I was hopin' yeh made friends with those girls in yer dorm, yeh was telling me 'bout that one, Olivia I think her name was. How's she doin'?"

"She's alright…but we haven't really talked all that much recently. I guess we've just both been busy."

"It's a terrible thing ter be lonely Ginny." he said, giving Harry a significant look. "Don't forget yeh always have me. I know me company's not the best but it's better than nothing. S'not good for yeh to be all alone."

Harry shifted, uncomfortably. He just assumed she had friends in her year, but maybe with everything with Tom, she never had time for it. He felt guilty, not just for not being her friend and letting Ron brush her off, but for being the kind of person he was always so jealous of before Hogwarts. Before he met Ron, Harry didn't have a single friend. In fact, the closest thing he came to a friend was his third grade teacher. She had been really kind to him, and had even come up with reasons to give him extra food at snack time or to give him her own lunch. She had seen him for what he was, an immensely lonely, sad, and underfed boy. He used to look out for others like himself, as much as he could, since he didn't want anyone to ever be as lonely as he was. But now, just a few years later, he was completely oblivious to Ginny's separation from her classmates. Of course now that it was pointed out to him he could see it plain as day, that she always sat with Fred and George or Neville at mealtimes, never with anyone her own age. And while she was funny and talkative, she wasn't close to anyone, not really.

The rest of their visit passed normally, Hagrid even showed them some fire-crabs he had obtained. They wouldn't see them in class until fifth year, but the oddly named, jeweled tortoises were quite pretty. When it was time for lunch, Harry and Ginny bid Hagrid goodbye, and started walking towards the castle.

"Ginny…" Harry paused, unsure how to continue. "I'm, er, sorry about, uh, ignoring you I guess. I didn't realize that you…that you didn't really have any friends. But I like hanging out with you, so uh, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm your friend, so don't ever feel like you don't have one." He finished, rather strongly.

She stopped walking and looked at him closely, searching his eyes with hers. "Thank you, Harry." She said finally, resuming movement. "With everything that happened with Tom in my first year, I was too preoccupied to try and make friends, and when I finally resurfaced after you rescued me, it was sort of too late. The girls in my dorm had already become friends, and thanks to my behavior due to Tom, they weren't too eager to get to know me anyway. And what happened with Tom is a big part of who I am now, I'm too serious, too…disconnected from everyone else now. My roommates are fine, but they're _normal_. They gossip and care about silly things. After what I've gone through I'm just not that girl anymore."

"It was awful for you, wasn't it?"

"Yes…" She seemed to drift inwards, to shrink and grow cold. "I haven't talked much about it, but yes, it was awful. Tom wasn't content with just simply using my body occasionally; he showed me his memories, all his memories. Sixteen year old Tom Riddle was already evil, Harry. He was horrible. He knew so many things…so many terrible things. He had done evil, I mean real evil. And he shared all of that with me. I know things that no one should. I know he's gone, but in a way he's still with me. His essence touched my soul and left its mark."

Harry wasn't sure what possessed him to do it, but he reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. "I'm so sorry Ginny. I am so sorry he did that to you. I think…I think I know how you feel, in some small way. He left his mark on me too." Harry gestured to his scar.

Ginny seemed to shake off the moment with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's not all bad, though. Tom Riddle was brilliant, he was an outstanding student, and now I have all his knowledge." She grinned. "School is so easy for me now, it's laughable. Once I realized that I already knew everything, I had to put effort into not standing out too much, so the teachers wouldn't think I was cheating. And, as it turns out, I can still talk to snakes!"

"Really? Huh, that's two of us now he's given that ability to. Parselmouth's won't be so rare if he keeps it up! Have you told Professor Dumbledore about…the memories you've retained?"

"Sort of, when he had me explain what happened I definitely mentioned it, but we haven't spoken since."

They walked the rest of the way in silence, and met up with Ron and Hermione at lunch. Hermione was evidently very impressed with Ron's suggestion for their Transfiguration essay, she spent lunch going over it with them. However, as soon as she had eaten her fill, she excused herself and disappeared.

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron, and Ginny trouped back into the entrance hall, sweaty, red faced, and exhilarated, having spent the afternoon playing a game of pickup Quidditch. They hurried to Gryffindor Tower to clean up before the leaving feast, talking excitedly about their game and coming up with ridiculous suggestions for Hermione's prank.<p>

Before long, the entire school had been seated in the Great Hall, which was decorated in trimmings of red and gold.

Dumbledore got to his feet, and immediately the chattering silenced. "Another year, gone. I am proud to say that you've survived your exams once more, and many of you," his eyes twinkled at them from above his half-moon glasses, "did much better than you anticipated. Tonight is a night of celebration. We say goodbye to a class of students, while we prepare for the new ones, which will be joining us in just a few short months. However, before we enjoy the delicious feast that has been prepared, there are a couple of announcements." Ron groaned. "Firstly, the House Cup goes to Gryffindor for the third year in a row! Congratulations Gryffindor House, you have truly lived up to your reputation of bravery and nobility this year. Secondly, I have been informed that we have some live entertainment for the duration of our meal. If Mr. Fred and Mr. George Weasley would come up here…" Dumbledore's eyes were sparkling, as he waved his wand and created a stage.

The twins looked shocked at each other, and then they turned to Hermione.

"Very funny Hermione."

"Now that you've have your little joke—"

"Don't be shy," Dumbledore's voice interrupted. "I daresay you'll find you have quite the performance prepared, if you would be so kind as to step on stage."

Not daring to disobey the Headmaster in front of the entire school, the twins got up and went to get on the stage, looking as if they were heading to their own execution. As soon as their feet touched the platform, their clothes changed to something that might be more appropriate at a Renaissance festival, complete with jester hats and lutes.

The twins seemed to be struggling against their own limbs, as they positioned themselves on stage, and began to sing:

"_Oh! I'm a rambler, I'm a gambler, I'm a long way from home  
>And if you don't like me, well, leave me alone<br>I'll eat when I'm hungry, I'll drink when I'm dry  
>And the moonshine don't kill me, I'll live till I die <em>

_I've been a moonshiner for many a year  
>I've spent all me money on whiskey and beer<br>I'll go to some hollow, I'll set up my still  
>And I'll make you a gallon for a ten shilling bill<em>…"

Their faces were red and they kept trying to not sing, but they didn't seem to be able to stop. Their voices were actually rather good, but as everyone was laughing, it was hard to hear them. Flitwick was clapping his small hands in tune to the ditty, and Dumbledore was mock conducting them with his wand, whereas McGonagall was glaring at them so disapprovingly it's a wonder they didn't burst into flame. Colin, and oddly enough, a house-elf, were snapping pictures as they did jigs to the music and sung.

Harry turned to Hermione, who was grinning, dreamily. "Revenge is sweet." She told him, just as the song ended. As the hall erupted into applause, the food appeared, and the twins immediately started in on another tune, seeming unable to stop.

"Hermione, are you really going to make them sing and dance through the whole feast?"

She waved a hand dismissively. "I already cleared it with Professor Dumbledore, they'll be sent dinner trays up to their room."

"You cleared a _prank_ with the Headmaster?" Ginny asked, incredulous.

"Well, sort of. I just told him that there were two students who would like to volunteer their services as entertainment for the feast, and he readily agreed. Flitwick helped me with the actual prank. They've been ingesting a very strong and specific compulsion potion for days. The trigger spell, along with a few others, are embedded in the platform. They'll continue until someone does the releasing spell, or they manage to walk off of it."

The evening was quite enjoyable, Gryffindor table had great fun, spurred on by winning the House Cup and the Quidditch Cup, not to mention Fred and George's performance. It was very late when the dishes finally emptied, and Hermione performed the counter-spell, releasing the twins, who promptly fell at her feet.

"We've been utterly had—"

"—who would've guessed—"

"—that a mind as devious as yours—"

"—was hiding out in the library?"

"Oh Great Hermione—"

"—teach us that spell!" they cried in unison.

Harry chuckled, and continued filing out of the hall. He was extremely sleepy, and fell asleep just as soon as his head hit his pillow.

* * *

><p>"Harry! I can't concentrate with you pacing like that!" Hermione said, glaring out at him from over her book.<p>

He rolled his eyes and plopped back down next to Ron, who was engaged in a game of exploding snap with Neville and Ginny. Luna, an odd Ravenclaw in Ginny's year, was sitting with them as well, perusing a rather strange-looking magazine.

He started jiggling his leg, earning an exasperated sigh from Hermione. He couldn't help it! He was nervous and excited, not a good combination when you're locked on a train for eight hours. _What if Sirius doesn't come? _He thought, panicked._ What if he changed his mind? Worse, what if he gets caught coming here! What if the Dursley's make a scene and a wizard investigates! What if Dumbledore somehow finds out about their plan and stops them! Why do we have to take a train to and from school anyway, we're magic! I really hate Floo travel, but if it meant I didn't have to be locked in this tiny compartment I'd take it in a heartbeat!_

Normally Harry thoroughly enjoyed the train ride; the lush scenery whizzing past, the trolley full of sweets, even the gentle motion of travel was soothing. In fact, he usually wished the rides were longer, so he could delay going back to Privet Drive, even if it was just for a few more hours. However, the motion of the train was now making him queasy, and he swore the compartments had gotten smaller since September.

_I can handle going back to the Dursley's alone…I just can't stand the thought of Sirius getting captured because of me. He should be out of the country, hiding, not smack dab in the middle of London…_

"Snuffles is going to be fine. Quit worrying, Harry, you're seriously driving us mad being all twitchy like that." Ginny said, lazily throwing down a card.

"She's right mate, you're just working yourself up." Ron chucked something at him. "Have a frog, it'll make you feel better."

Harry caught the proffered frog, but didn't eat it. "Hey Luna, what are you reading about?" he asked her, craning his neck to try to read her magazine, which she was currently holding sideways.

She slowly looked up at him with her pale, protuberant eyes, staring at him a moment before answering. "There's been a new sighting of Blibbering Humdingers, not far from here. Daddy and I are going to be spending the summer learning to attract them. They're really shy, but once you've made a good impression, they've been known to bestow great luck and protection."

"I've, er, never heard of them. They sound interesting though."

Hermione snorted, but didn't say anything.

"You wouldn't have heard of them. Since they're difficult to spot, most people don't believe in them, you see."

"Why're they hard to spot?

And Luna was off, telling him all about Bibbering Humdingers and their rumored habitat and powers. She also had a lot to say on the subject of the Ministry not classifying them as real animals despite eyewitness testaments.

Ron eventually coaxed Harry into a game of chess, and Harry did reasonably well with Ginny giving him hints, he didn't win of course, but he didn't lose near as spectacularly as usual. Then he watched a game between them, which was fascinating. As siblings, they had learned similarly, but they preferred different tactics. Instead of actually playing the full game out, they put down about six moves before Ron conceded; already realizing that Ginny was going to win. They then started trying to teach Harry how to play better.

"You have two problems Harry, the first is that you're not trying hard enough to invade the opponent's side of the board, and the second is that you're not sacrificing any of your pieces. You're trying to protect them all, which is how you're so easily beat. To win, you have to sacrifice pieces strategically, particularly the pawns, to keep the more important pieces safe, like the rooks, in order to win." Ginny had told him, after she had demonstrated losing her castle to take the queen.

By the time the train slowed, pulling into Platform 9 ¾, Harry was doing much better, though he still had trouble purposefully leaving pieces open to attack.

Impatiently, Harry dragged his truck through the train corridor, and onto the platform, where Fred helped him put it on a trolley. He said his goodbyes to the Weasley's distractedly, and hurried through the barrier, looking about desperately for a blond man in a purple t-shirt. He spotted his uncle easily; it would be hard to miss the large man, whose face was already red in annoyance. Harry walked towards his slowly, giving his godfather ample time to approach him. Without saying anything, Vernon turned and started walking towards the car. Harry's heart sank, and just as he thought that his earlier fears were correct, he heard a familiar voice in his ear.

"It's me, Harry."

His face split into a grin, and he leaped onto the blonde man with a hug. "Siri-Snuffles! I was worried you wouldn't come!"

"Me? Abandon Prongslet? Never!" Sirius said, holding Harry tightly. "Come on, let's catch up to your uncle."

They hurried along together, following in Vernon's bulky wake.

* * *

><p>It had been a week since Sirius arrived at Privet Drive, and he already couldn't imagine a life without his godson. It took a bit of tricky spell work, but Sirius managed to fool the monitoring spells placed on the house and the surrounding area. It had taken him and Moony nearly a day to work out the ward stone, and what they discovered explained a lot about why Harry was with the Dursley's. The ward stone had a very specific blood protection spell on it, and while there are certainly other options, it was understandable why Harry was placed there…to begin with.<p>

What made Sirius's blood boil was the fact that Harry had been abandoned there, with his abusive relatives, and a batty old Squib to watch over him from afar. _Not that she watched over him very competently_, he thought bitterly, _it's a wonder that he didn't starve to death or die from neglect. I'm not going to force him to talk about it but he had four, four! poorly healed bones, meaning they were broken and never set properly, and I know good and well any bones he broke at school would just be repaired magically or regrown, so old signs of breakage wouldn't show_…the thought that he may've had more bones broken by his beast of an Uncle that they didn't know about made bile rise in his throat. _Merlin, this kid is a survivor._

After dealing with the wards, the Dursley's and making the smallest bedroom of #4 inhabitable, Sirius and Remus had turned to Harry's health. To anyone who looked at him, the signs of malnourishment and neglect were obvious, however, under the surface there was a lot more wrong. His biggest problem was that he had trouble breathing sometimes. It wasn't terrible, and Harry was so used to it he barely noticed anymore, but between a bad case of pneumonia and two ribs that didn't heal right, breathing deeply caused Harry pain, and cold weather exacerbated the issue. Fortunately, magical medicine was going to be able to heal him right up, physically anyway. Harry also wasn't growing right, due to the malnourishment, so they were now both on a regimen of terrible tasting potions designed to heal the damage of the past twelve years. Sirius already looked much less gaunt, and Harry was pleased with the idea of getting taller.

They had just had a scrumptious lunch, courtesy of Loop and Bang. The house-elves of Black Manor were throwing themselves into caring for them with an almost frightening fervor, Bang had nearly gone into hysterics when Harry refused a third helping of pudding. Harry was now sprawled across his transfigured bed reading some book Remus had given him, and Sirius was supposed to be writing to Witch Weekly about doing an interview.

The interview was actually Sirius's idea, to help foster a good public image after he's absolved, but it didn't mean he was excited to go through with it. Getting his name cleared was going swimmingly, surprisingly. Director Bones was thoroughly investigating his arrest and had already rescinded the order to Kiss on Sight. He had delivered Peter to her custody personally (In a disguise of course), heavily drugged and warded to make absolute sure he couldn't slip off again. Remus had been most helpful for that, he had figured out a way to put an anti-animagus ward on an actual person. It was an incredibly valuable discovery…and Sirius was just grateful the Ministry didn't know about it when he was in their custody.

They had announced Peter's capture and investigation in the papers, so now there were all kinds of speculation as to Sirius's innocence in the papers, helped along by generous bit of gold of course. Sirius wasn't stupid (No matter what Remus may say), he knew he couldn't just go from the most dangerous Wizarding criminal at large to a cleared man who happens to be the guardian of The-Boy-Who-Lived overnight. No, that would be asking for all kinds of trouble. Instead, he had arranged for the press to question his guilt, bringing up his successful career as a Hit Wizard in the last war, his ties to Light families…that sort of thing. And on top of that, an investigation so thorough and by the books that not even Albus Dumbledore himself could question it.

Dumbledore. Sirius was so disillusioned to the great and noble Albus Dumbledore that it was almost sad. He grew up idolizing him, he had symbolized everything a young Sirius had believed in, and had sheltered Sirius from his family's Dark tendencies while in school. And then he was thrown into Azkaban for the murder of his best friend without a trial or even a questioning; and despite his status as a war hero and a member of the Order of the Phoenix, he did not warrant a visit or even a letter from the Chief Warlock, whose job it is to make sure that the due processes of the law are followed, and everyone gets the justice they deserve. Sirius could acknowledge that was a rough time in the war, and he could forgive that…at first. Why were no inquires made later though? And why the bloody hell did Dumbledore send two school children _through time_ to rescue him? The Chief Warlock certainly has the power to make sure a fair trial is given, in fact, in judiciary matters, the Chief Warlock outranks the Minister! And that's not even trying to get into the wrongs Dumbledore had committed against Harry. That binding on his magic was incredibly suspicious, and even though there was no way to tell who placed it on him, Sirius would bet the Black family fortune it was Dumbledore. _Why_ he would do it was incredibly unclear, but regardless he left it on Harry without his consent. In addition, he allowed his relatives to mistreat him, and continually put his life in danger at school. He had hired someone with Voldemort sticking out of the back of their head for Merlin's sake!

_Dumbledore sure has a lot to answer for,_ Sirius mused. _But how to make him answer for it? It's clear he's manipulating everyone around him without a care for the damage, or that in his old age he's losing his touch. Either way, he shouldn't hold so many positions of power. Hogwarts even seems to have gone downhill, from the curriculum Harry described. They seem to have taken out a few electives that were helpful and the punishment and reward system sounds unfair at best. From what I've read in the Daily Prophet, the board of governors is now little more than Lucius Malfoy's mouthpiece, which really confounds me. How he got off I haven't a clue, Dumbledore must've been busy the day of his trial or something, unless he thought Malfoy could actually be redeemed… _Sirius mentally sneered. _Yes, Dumbledore does indeed have a lot to answer for_.

Harry, however, seemed to hold a high opinion of the headmaster, though he was starting to question his decisions. Sirius and Remus had already been into a disagreement over how to handle things. Sirius was soon to be Harry's guardian, the closest thing to a parent, and as far as he was concerned, Dumbledore wasn't to be trusted and he didn't want to allow Harry to continue with his fancy that Dumbledore was an infallible wizard with his best interests at heart. Remus heavily disagreed and thought Harry should be left to form his own opinions. Mr. Padfoot thought that was a load of old tosh, that Mr. Moony was still suffering from Extreme Hero Worship from his school days. And that was when Remus had hexed him so bad Sirius spent the next two hours yodeling.

_Speaking of which…Prongslet has only had one lesson on pranking thus far, and I haven't had time for any revenge_…he threw his quill down and turned to Harry, "Oi, Harry, time for another Marauder lesson."

The black haired teen looked up at him excitedly. "Are we going to start Animagus training?"

"Uh, no, and while I commend you on your persistence, I thought we had decided that you were too young?"

"And I thought I reminded you that you and my Dad were my age when you started?"

"You did, but I pulled the responsible adult card. I have to at least pretend I'm one every now and then."

Harry rolled his eyes. "So what are we doing?"

"I think it's high time to teach you to enchant objects to only respond to certain people. It's actually very similar to warding, so this should interest you."

"Are you sure I won't get in trouble for using magic?"

Now it was Sirius's turn to roll his eyes. "I promise, Prongslet, the magic nullifying field on this house is so strong that not even Dumbledore would be able to sense any magic use. Well, unless he was really looking for it, or he inspected the amount of magic in the area…but he's not going to do that."

"Well even if it doesn't work, I suppose another charge of underage magic isn't nearly as bad as aiding and harboring a known dangerous criminal." Harry replied cheekily, retrieving his wand from the side table.

"Now, we first need something that contains that person's essence, remember what I told you about magical essence versus tangible essence? Yes? Good, so first we…"

* * *

><p>Remus was having a splendid day. He had already met with Sirius's Barrister to be brought up to speed on the investigation, visited Black Manor to instruct the house-elves on preparing Harry's room, been to Gringotts to work on the contract for the Dursley's and now he was enjoying a delicious cup of tea and a pastry at a small muggle bistro.<p>

Things were good. Not perfect, not yet, but well on their way. The arrangements for Harry's birthday present were coming along, and Remus was certain that with the right angle the Dursley's would sign away their claim to him easily. Their ruse, however, heavily depended on Petunia's lack of knowledge about the Wizarding world. They were depositing a small sum, about thirty-thousand pounds, in a muggle bank account to serve as Harry's 'inheritance'. His real inheritance was thousands of time larger than that, but the majority of it was in various accounts with Gringotts, with the exception of some muggle holdings. The contract they were drawing up offered this small sum in exchange for Harry's guardianship, portraying it as the extent of the Potter estate. However, there were some _terms_ the Dursley's might find most frustrating, but Remus was banking (pun intended) on their greediness and hatred of their nephew winning out so that they wouldn't review the contract too heavily.

Finishing his repast, Remus gathered up everything he needed to bring to Sirius, and ducked into a little alleyway to apparate directly to Harry's room at #4. He and Sirius had really outdone themselves on modifying the wards surrounding the small house, they had been forced to work within the loopholes, but they had managed to peel back the anti-apparition ward on the house to exclude Harry's room, or more accurately, what used to be Harry's room. Thanks to space expanding charms, lots, and _lots_ of transfiguration it now resembled a decent sized flat. With a blink of concentration, he appeared in said flat with a quiet pop.

"Moony! How did it go at the bank and everything?" Sirius asked, greeting him.

"Excellent, and if the truth is to be told…" Remus's eyes searched for Harry.

Noting his hesitation, Sirius told him, "He's in the loo, we have a moment."

"Well everything for the surprise should be ready in time, and I didn't even have to bribe quite as many people as we were expecting."

"Excellent! So I'm still bloody rich, right?"

"Well…I was thinking about asking for a pay raise…being your assistant is fun but the pay is shit, Padfoot." Remus told him with a grin.

"That's probably because I'm not paying you at all you prick!"

"Oh I know. Slavery, that's what this is! You lure me with promises of friendship and then you work me to death!"

"Who've we enslaved?" Harry asked, emerging from the new en suite bathroom.

Sirius slung an arm around Remus. "Just ol' Mooney here. We've got him collared and leashed proper."

Harry quirked a brow, "And I thought it was you we had to collar, leash, and treat for fleas."

Remus laughed while Sirius looked mildly affronted. "Children," he said, shaking his head, "They'll break your heart! No respect for their elders!"

"Elder? You're kidding yourself Padfoot, don't even _try_ to pretend you ever actually grew up!" said Remus.

"What is this? Pick on Sirius day? I don't have to stand for this abuse you know."

"Then go lay down like a good doggy." Harry told him, with a grin.

"Cheeky brat!" Sirius and Remus said in unison, moving to sit down.

"So Prongslet how's the reading coming?" Remus asked, setting his briefcase down on the table and opening it.

"Er, it's actually quite good, they don't teach us any of this stuff in History of Magic! The only thing Binns ever talks about is the goblin rebellions, so I guess I just didn't realize how much history there is in the Wizarding world."

"Didn't you say that Binns is a ghost?"

"Er, yeah, he is."

Remus and Sirius looked at each other. "It sounds like he's gone round the twist in his…afterlife." Sirius said.

"He was a much better teacher when he was still alive, I wonder why Dumbledore hasn't had him exorcised?" Remus added.

Harry immediately pictured Professor Binns in ghostly workout gear, doing aerobics. He shook the disturbing image from his mind, and asked "Exercised?"

"Ex_or_cised. You can rid of a ghost or spirit through an exorcism. There's a small ministry department that does it, they mostly work on riding troublesome ghosts from muggle dwellings, but you can make an appointment with them to deal with a ghost. Expelling a ghost isn't easy, but Dumbledore could probably do it without much fuss." Remus told him informatively.

"Huh, I didn't know that." Harry said, contemplating the new information. _If you can have a troublesome ghost, er, expelled, why on earth is Peeves still around? I'm sure Filch would've happily seen him off ages ago_. Harry wondered, watching Remus and Sirius carry on warily. Remus leaned back in his chair having just set down a teacup Sirius had handed him, and…yes! It worked!

Remus's world upended. He had been debating a formal inquiry at Hogwarts with Sirius, and he hadn't even drunken the tea he was given, figuring it was spiked with something. He set it down politely and now…he was on the floor? He swiveled his head around, trying to see what he had been turned into this time. He had feathers…hmmm…probably an owl, knowing Sirius. But how had they done it? He had been sure to only touch things Sirius or Harry touched, and he hadn't drunken the tea or taken a handful of what _looked_ like peanut clusters in the bowl on the table. Frustrated, an unintended squawk left his beak, incurring peals of laughter from both Harry and Sirius. It also attracted a sleeping Hedwig's attention, who was now eyeing him with distaste from her perch. Deciding to take action against his attackers, he experimented with his wings, trying to figure out how to make them fly. It wasn't as easy as it looked, and his struggles only elicited more laughter. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Harry was still asleep, deeply dreaming about playing Quidditch inside Hogwarts. He was just about to catch the snitch and win the game when voices outside his dream invaded. "How can you ask me to miss this? I've already missed twelve years, I'm not missing out on any more time with my Godson!"<em> I didn't know Sirius played Quidditch…oh that was a dream! What is Sirius talking about? <em>He kept his eyes firmly shut and his breathing even as he came to consciousness, wanting to know what was going on.

"You'll miss more time with him if you get caught out in public before you're cleared! And even then, it probably won't be safe for you to be seen with him for a while."

"I don't care what they try to do to me, I'm not going to be separated from him if I can help it! Dammit Mooney why are you fighting me on this?"

"Because it's not about you! Everything we do has to be about Harry! And you're not taking him into consideration at all! What will happen to him if you're locked up, this time with anti-animagus wards on every inch of that damned island? The press will have a field day against you, and not a word Harry says will counter that. Even if we could get a fair investigation after all that backlash, how would you fare locked up without your dog form to keep your sanity? How is that helping Harry?"

"You think I'm going to be stupid enough to get caught? We'll both be disguised, and disguised well, it's practically foolproof!"

"Practically is not the same as completely!" Remus replied, his voice raising a little.

"I know that, Mooney! But neither is this entire scheme! This entire house of cards could explode at any second!" Sirius replied, just as heatedly.

"And that makes it okay to add even more risk, does it?"

That was when Harry decided to intercede. "I hope you two reinforced the muffling charm like I asked you to, otherwise the entire muggle neighborhood will have heard this fight. What's going on?"

Sirius and Remus both jumped at the sound of Harry's voice, and turned toward him, guiltily. "Nothing, we were just wrapping up a discussion before Remus has to leave. Sorry to wake you." Sirius said, with a threatening glace towards Remus.

"You're lying, you woke me up a few minutes ago with your bickering. What's really going on? Who's in danger?"

"He's not going to let this go, is he?" Sirius asked Remus.

"Nope!" Remus replied, with a smug smile. "Harry, in short, you need clothes, and other things. While we can just order things by owl, it won't be the same as going and picking them out. I proposed that we, as in you and I, go shopping today, but your idiotic Godfather is insisting on coming, despite the fact that it would put him, and by extension you, in danger."

"What Lupin here forgets, is that…" Harry cut off Sirius's rebuttal.

"No way, absolutely not. You're not endangering yourself just because my clothes are a bit worn! That's ridiculous!" Harry said hotly, climbing out of bed. Sirius and Remus promptly burst into laughter, which was not the response he was expecting. "This is serious!" The laughter intensified. "Oh come on, what are you, second years?" He looked down at his pajamas, which had been a Christmas present of Dudley's from Aunt Marge. They were nearly grey with age and wear, but you could still make out the pattern of smiling Santa's and elves. Despite the fact that they were four years old, they still hung off him, almost comically large for his still-slight frame. His face flushed red, as he realized he could probably use some new clothes.

Once Padfoot and Moony had finally calmed down, a stern house-elf sat them down to a late breakfast, prodding at Harry and Sirius to down every drop of their nutrition potions, and even admonishing Remus for his shabby appearance.

Wiping his mouth, he addressed Sirius and Remus, "Well…it would probably be nice to have some new pajamas and I know I need to get my school things…but Sirius you're not coming. Remus and I can go disguised, we'll be fine."

"I know you both think I'm being ridiculous, and maybe I am, but I'm responsible for you now Harry. Maybe not yet legally, but I've got twelve years to make up for."

"It wasn't your fault, Padfoot. I know you blame yourself for what happened to Lily and James, but you couldn't have known. Peter fooled us all." Remus said, placing his hand on Sirius's.

"Yeah, you couldn't've know Sirius. We really will be fine you know. I've been shopping in Diagon Alley loads of times, and I've been fine. Well mostly, I did turn up in Knockturn Alley…but that was an accident."

"You see Sirius, there's nothing- wait, you were in Knockturn Alley? Who the bloody hell let you go there?"

"Oh it was an accident, my first time using the Floo, I obviously came out of it alright."

"Sirses? Mays I make a suggestion?" Loop interjected, wringing her uniform with her tiny hands.

"Of course Loop! Sorry, we didn't realize you were still here, bangers were excellent by the way."

"Oh, thanks you sirs! I's had to make sure you's really would eat all of yous tomatoes Master Sirius, instead of just hiding thems under yous napkin!" Sirius blushed. "Anyways sirs, whys not have an elf to be going with you? We's can be's popping young Master Harry away if there's to be any trouble makings and no wizard magics can being stopping us."

"I think that's an excellent idea," said Remus with a grin. "And it's not as if it's unusual for a family to bring a house-elf with them shopping, they use them to ferry packages back home." Sirius looked from Loop, to Remus, to Harry, and back again with a sigh.

"I see that I've been out-voted and out-smarted. Okay, fine, go on without me. I'll be fine here, all alone, really. No one to talk with, no one to play exploding snap with…" Harry and Remus exchanged an eye roll.

An hour later they were ready to set off, Harry had changed into some of his better clothes (His only 'better clothes' if the truth is to be told), and he had been given reddish-brown hair, brown eyes, and light freckles. His scar was covered with a glamour, and his glasses had been transfigured into a pair of horn-rimmed spectacles. Remus had been given similar hair and freckles, as they were playing father and son. Harry was Arsalan and Remus was Raul.

Sirius leaned down and hugged Harry tightly, who hugged him right back, though let go quicker than Sirius would have liked. "Here, take this, just in case there is any trouble. I know, I know, I'm being an overly-cautious worry-wart, but you have to admit Prongslet, you're kind of a trouble magnet. It's a two-way mirror, if you say 'Padfoot' into it I'll answer you. Similarly, if I have something to tell you, I can say 'Prongslet' into mine and your will grow cold in your pocket so you know to answer."

Harry examined the mirror briefly before carefully tucking it into an inside pocket of his cloak. "Okay Padfoot, but really we'll be fine."

"Now Harry, or, uh Arsalan—"

"Tell me again why we let Sirius pick the names?" 'Arsalan' asked 'Raul'.

"Because the names you two came up with were boring and—" Sirius started before Remus interrupted.

"Anyway, Harry, have you done Side-Along Apparition before?"

"Side-Along what?"

"Apparition, the ability to disappear from one place and magically reappear elsewhere almost instantly. Have you learned anything about it yet?

"Er, no. I think Hermione said something about it once, but I can't really remember. But when I was younger I er…"

"You what?"

"I was uh, running from Dudley and his gang and I remember wishing really hard to be somewhere else and I found myself on the roof of the school. I got in loads of trouble for that. I didn't know it was called something to do that. Is apparition what you meant in that letter, Sirius? When you said I would pop to my mum whenever she left?"

"Yeah, a right fright you used to give us all. But don't think it's easy magic, not at all. In fact, you have to have a license to do it legally, and you can't even take the test for it 'till you're of age." Sirius replied.

"And that is why, despite your previous experience, I'll apparate you with me today. Grasp my arm tightly, and do _not_ let go until we've landed. It won't take too long, just a second or two, and it will probably be quite uncomfortable since you're not used to it." Remus held out his arm for Harry to take, and turned to Loop. "Ready Loop? We'll meet you at the checkpoint." The elf nodded and disappeared. "Alrighty then, on three, see you in a bit Padfoot, try not to wear holes in the floor. One…two…three!" Remus turned on the spot, twisting away into nothingness, only nothingness felt more like a tiny tube without any oxygen. With a pop! Harry's lungs expanded as he appeared in the Apparition Checkpoint of Diagon Alley, where Loop was waiting for them.

"Uncomfortable, yeah, that's one way to put Apparition." He said, steadying himself.

Remus laughed. "Really, you get used to it after a time. I think we'll probably be teaching you to apparate soon anyway, it's dead useful for emergencies. Right, let's do Madam Malkin's first so we can get your robes."

"Yeah, but what about Gringotts? I've only got a few Galleons left, and I'm not letting you pay for all this."

Remus quickly waved his wand in a familiar pattern to create a privacy bubble. "Gringotts is known for its discretion and privacy…but as a minor your finances may be reported to the Headmaster. And even he would be concerned about how you got to Diagon Alley all by yourself when you're supposed to be in Surrey. We're using Sirius's money, which is also yours. Now come along please, if we leave Sirius alone too long he might chew up your shoes."

"Sirs," said Loop, "I wills be makings myself unseen nows. If you's is be needing me, I's will be rights behind yous." And with that, a strange rippling began in the air around Loop, then quickly converged and appeared to swallow up the elf.

_I wonder if that's what the Headmaster did, back in my first year_, Harry wondered as they set off, his neck prickling at the knowledge that Loop was right behind them. _If house-elves are so powerful, how do wizards bind them? You would think they would teach us this stuff in History of Magic…I'll have to ask Lupin or Sirius later. Or I could ask Loop or another one of the elves, I wonder if they would even know anything to tell me._

Efficiently, Madam Malkin measured him and began pulling sample robes for him to try, all the while chattering on how responsible they were to be getting school shopping done this early into the holidays. "I tell you, it'll be the 20th of August before most of these so called parents seem to remember they even have children! Then they rush in here, three, four at a time and expect me to have them out in less than a hour! It's just too much, I'm havin' to hire help 'round that time of year, but I hate doin' that, I do. If only parents were more considerate, like you," She continued, magicking a sleeve to the perfect length while gesturing at Remus. "And I even started doing owl order a couple a years ago, you would think they would take advantage of it."

Smiling genially, Remus paid for the dozen robes and handed them off to Loop, who promptly Disapparated with a small bow. "Thank you." Harry told the Madam politely with a smile as they left.

"Right, let's head to Traver's, I think that'll be a good place to hit up next. It'll be more fun than trying on robes, I promise." Remus said without breaking stride. Silently wondering what Traver's was, Harry hurried along in his wake, when he was again aware of a presence behind him. Loop must be back, he surmised.

Traver's turned out to be a large, almost comically over-stuffed store, with a giant brown and gold sign declaring itself "Travers' Trunks, Trinkets, and Things". Harry watched in fascination as a glass sphere in the display case emitted breathtaking firework displays, and an intricately carved wooden dodecahedron twisted and undulated into new shapes. Much less interesting, but nevertheless attractive was the stack of gleaming trucks in unusual leathers and metals.

The door gave them a polite hello from its carved wooden mouth as they entered, causing Harry to jump. He made sure to walk in slowly, and not to close the door until he sensed Loop entering past him. Remus immediately began examining some trucks that were towards the back of the store, leaving Harry to peruse the oddities on the cramped shelves. A carved wooden owl caught his interest; the tag read "Hate Owls? Owls Hate You? Has Your Owl Simply Run Afoul? Then The Faux-Owl Is For You!" He briefly considered getting it for Hermione before an inky black and violet flower drew his attention. Enclosed in glass, it opened and closed its petals repeatedly, and it supposedly was use in old magic to protect infants from harm. _Old magic, what's that? Maybe I should ask Remus…hmmm… _Harry thought, while wandering from shelf to shelf. Eventually Remus, er, Raul, called him over to talk business with the portly shopkeeper.

"Travers this is my son, Arsalan. Son," Remus said, with a conspiratorial wink, "these are the trunks I was telling you about."

"Your father seems partial to our basic Typical Traveler's Trunk, which is quite an excellent model for a young man like yourself. Three compartments, the first is the only one detectable to anyone but you and those whom you allow of course. That compartment is of standard size, while the other two are much larger. The second compartment is meant for more long-term storage and is quite large, about the size of a bed. The third compartment opens up into a small room, which comes with basic furnishings but not a bathroom. Anything in both of those compartments will be entirely weightless."

"However," The shopkeeper continued with a greasy smile, "There's also our Teeming Traveler's Trunk, which has five compartments, two of which are large storage, one of which is a library that brings you whatever book you desire out of your collection instantly," _Wow, Hermione would love that_, Harry thought. "The last two compartments are both rooms. One is a large bedroom with an attached bathroom, and the other is a smaller room, perhaps for storage."

"The typ— er, the first one sounds fine." Harry said, but Travers pressed on.

"Then there is the Transcendental Traveler's Trunk which has everything a wizard could need in a convenient, lightweight, and attractive package!" He said, gesturing to an offensively purple truck. _I wonder if Dumbledore has that one?_ Harry thought with a smile. "The Transcendent Trunk also has five compartments, one regular trunk compartment, one library, one dungeon, one potions lab, and a large flat complete with a kitchenette, bathroom, and spacious living area. It is guaranteed to never snap, it comes with a Floo hook up for convenient travel, and is available in a variety of attractive colors!"

Remus managed to look both overwhelmed and amused. "Let my son and I have a moment to discuss it. While we're talking, could we press upon you to find similar trunks in more…neutral shades? Black or brown, perhaps?" The shopkeeper hurried away with a nod.

At Harry's expression, Remus said: "I know they seem extravagant, but really every wizard ought to have a good trunk that can stand up to travel. They are quite expensive, but luckily that isn't a problem for you." Harry blinked at him.

"I mean, I know magic is real and all, but how can they fit practically a whole house into a trunk?!"

"It's a tricky business, which is why you have to pay so much for them. Few wizards have the power and concentration to create such works, much less sustainable ones. Padfoot and I aren't exactly squibs, but you saw how long it took for us to just expand your bedroom, which is different from the pocket dimensions that are used to make trunks like these. I have one such trunk myself, it used to be your father's actually. He gave it to me when we graduated…he knew that I would have a rough time finding work. It's not pleasant, but it's possible to live out of one."

"Well, you don't need it anymore, do you? C-could I have it? To borrow? I know it's yours but, I don't have much from my dad, and that way we wouldn't have to spend all this money."

"Actually…I'm uh, I'm living out of it now. Hogwarts wages are decent, but I'm trying to make them stretch until I can find other employment, but of course if you want it you're welcome to it. You have a right to it, after all."

Harry looked at him owlishly. "But…why? I thought you were living at Sirius's place? I thought you were going to live with us?"

"We'll have to talk about it some other time." Remus said, touched. "Is there a trunk you wanted? It's a good idea to have one with all that extra space and the safeguards, even at school."

"Er, yeah I guess so. But please not in lime green! Malfoy would laugh me out of the school and straight into hiding for the rest of my life if I was seen with that thing." He looked at a particularly lurid green trunk, with copper fastenings.

Remus privately agreed.

After they had handed over enough gold to feed a large family for a year (or more), they left the shop with a few trinkets, and a gorgeous deep red trunk made from dragon hide, with traditional gold fastenings. It was the best model they offered, with all the extras. Harry didn't have the heart to ask what he might need a dungeon for.

From there they went to the apothecary, and Remus helped Harry pick out the freshest ingredients, and admonished the shopkeeper to wrap them up properly. Harry even picked out a handy little guide called "Moste Importante Potions: What You Really Need to Know!" This prompted the pair to head to Flourish and Blotts.

"…Arsalan, feel free to wander, I've got a few things I want to hunt for, so I may be awhile." With that, Remus left Harry to his own devices. Harry got the impression that he and Hermione were more similar than one might immediately guess.

With considerably less enthusiasm, and a list, Harry set off through the shelves, trying to gather all of his schoolbooks first. Since he was starting Ancient Runes he lingered in that section, deciding to get an extra book to help him catch up; the trouble is, there are about a dozen books proclaiming themselves to be 'the best' introduction to Ancient Runes. Of that dozen, there are five that are supposed to be 'the only guide you need!' _How can there be five of them if they're the only guide I need? Maybe I'm so dense I need five to catch up. Where's Hermione when you need her? _He flipped through each of them, and chose one by a witch who claimed to have studied under Rowena Ravenclaw's last know descendent. It at least didn't read like a total bore, and the author really tried to show practical application of Ancient Runes, rather than just theory. The issue with practical application, it seemed to be, was that you had to be very careful, because casting with Runes wasn't like casting a spell. Everything influenced it, the time of year, the position of the stars, the caster's astrological sign and star chart, the intended effects, it went on and on. In addition, the effects of Rune casting were far less predictable and controllable, and where nigh impossible to reverse. Harry hadn't even begun the subject, and he already had a healthy respect for it.

In short order, however, he managed to gather and purchase all of his schoolbooks, his extra Ancient Runes text, a handy Rune chart one of the shop assistants had shown him, several extra books on Defense and countering the Dark Arts, and a very interesting looking book on Magical Theory. Perhaps it was because Harry wasn't raised in the Wizarding world, but he had a lot of questions about magic that never seemed to occur to wizards. What _was_ magic? Where did it come from? Why are we limited by Latin spells, when accidental magic doesn't even require a wand? He found a spot close to the door where he could wait for Moony and began eagerly flipping through the book, reading an overview of the different theories. For some reason he was surprised to see a whole chapter dedicated to Dumbledore's work in Magical Theory, to his chagrin. As he was reading about Dumbledore's attempts to isolate pure magic in a controlled manner, he felt someone approach, and looked up into the disguised Remus's face.

"Are you all ready to go? I've got everything I need for now, and quite a bit extra. I don't know how Padfoot is going to deal with you becoming even more of a bookworm." He said, gesturing to Harry's own pile.

Harry grinned at him cheekily. "Maybe we could pick him up a book on dog tricks. He's not too old yet to learn something new!" Remus laughed, and shrunk Harry's new books down so they were easier to carry.

"Are you hungry yet?"

Harry shook his head.

"Good, we'll go on to Eywin's Eyeglasses, and then get lunch."

"Glasses? But I already have mine." Harry said, touching the small wire-framed glasses he had been wearing since he was eight years old.

"Yes, and they put you at a terrible disadvantage. They can be taken from you, broken, even Vanished to leave you blind. You're too young for the eye-correcting potion yet, but a new pair of glasses will be fine until then."

"There's a vision correcting potion? Why can't I take it?"

"It's an extremely delicate potion. Not only does your body need to be done maturing, but so does your magic in order for it to work properly and safely. And, it only corrects your vision when you take it, so if your vision changes later you'll have to take it again. Since people's vision changes most in childhood, and when you're past middle aged, it's just smarter to wait."

"Oh. Okay then." They walked down Diagon Alley to one of the side streets, Wick Road. It seemed to be a street for particularly boring, practical stores. Entering Eywin's, Harry looked around, interestedly, until he notice actual eyeballs in display cases. What made it worse was, the eyes were moving, watching their entrance. A wizened man greeted them cheerily, he had spectacles so eccentric and unnecessarily embellished Harry wondered if they even functioned as eyeglasses at all.

"Ah, I see I have a young patient. Come this way!" He led Harry to a large chair that looked like the ones at the dentist. Without asking, he whisked Harry's glasses away and began tapping them with his wand. "I don't recognize these…oh I see…they're muggle! Well I can certainly see why you've come to me. Don't you worry, we'll get you fixed right up. I suppose you lost your other pair?"

Confused, Harry said, "Er, yeah."

Eywin got to work, having Harry peer into various pieces of glass, before having him pick out a pair of frames. Mooney kept trying to get him to pick something new, but Harry chose a pair that was very similar to his old ones, made from bronze wire. The shopkeeper cast dozens of spells on them, then asked for a single drop of Harry's blood to bond him with his glasses. After that was over, Eywin placed them on his face, and Harry could see clearly. His vision was much crisper than it had been with his old glasses, apparently his prescription needed updating.

"There you are young man! These will not bend, break, or shatter, and the only one who can remove them is you. They will enhance your night vision to a certain degree, are Impervious, and will allow you to see even when your vision should be clouded. They're our top model, you have my guarantee that they will work. You will also find that is rather hard to lose them."

Remus thanked him, paid, and they left, the door jangling behind them. The shopkeeper, pleased with his work, took his patients old glasses back out of the rubbish bin. Any basic detection spell could tell they were transfigured. With a tap from his wand, they reverted to their original state, to a very familiar pair of glasses to anyone who had been in Wizarding Britain in the last decade. "Very well, Mr. Potter. I'm sure you have your reasons for concealing your identity, but I wish I had known it was you."

Walking down Diagon Alley with his new glasses, Harry could see better than he had before, making him wonder at the shapes of the leaves on the trees. Harry and Remus's stomachs were beginning to express their hunger verbally, so they headed to the Leaky Cauldron. They settled into a booth in the back and placed their orders with Tom. Sipping on their butterbeers, they were silent until their food arrived, just taking a break from all the shopping. As they tucked in, Remus couldn't help but to notice Harry's attitude towards food again. Harry ate very slowly, in fact, unless he was prodded, he didn't eat enough at mealtimes. He also hunched over his food, as if to protect it. Anyone who knew what to look for, knew this kid had known hunger. However, it wasn't a conversation to have without Sirius. So far, Harry had avoided the topic, focusing on his education, or getting to know Sirius and Remus, but that wouldn't,_ couldn't_ continue.

Instead, Remus wanted to ask him more about his friends, in particular, a young redhead that Harry seems particularly attached to. However, before he could say anything, Harry spoke in a low voice. "Er, Raul, I wanted to ask you what you knew about house-elves. They seem more powerful than most wizards honestly, and I, uh, don't understand why they're 'bound to serve us' and whatnot."

Remus waved his wand in a circle, casting a privacy bubble for the two of them. "That's a very good question Harry, but I can't say I know the real answer. Some two-thousand years ago, house-elves entered a binding contract with wizardkind, binding the elves to the largest, richest, and most powerful wizarding families of the time. The only account of this occurring is a children's tale, so it's hearsay and legend at best, however it does fit what we know. We know that elves are passed down in families, and that they can be 'gifted' to a family deemed worthy enough. Most of the families with elves today got theirs that way, as many of the old families have died out or changed name. The Blacks are one of the few families that are an exception, they did translate their name around one thousand A.D., if I remember correctly."

"That was…nearly a thousand years ago." Harry said, more to himself than to Remus. "Why did they change their name?"

"Well, there's some speculation on that. Most attribute it to young Ӕðeltungol Atramesis, when he publicly challenged Gryffindor over blood purity. He was solidly put in his place, only escaping with his life because Gryffindor was feeling particularly benevolent that day. You know, Gryffindor wasn't even his proper name, those are translations that we use now from an ancient carving left by the Founders, marking Hogwarts as their own. Anyway, the Atramesis' changed their name to a more modern version in Old English to try and escape the shame their youngest son has brought upon the family. That's also when they moved from their ancestral castle in Scotland to England."

"I didn't know any of that. The Blacks knew the Founders? That's so cool!"

Remus scooped up the last of his gravy with a roll. "The Wizarding world is fairly small in Europe, so many families have been interlinked through the centuries."

"What about in other countries? We've never learned anything that wasn't about Magical Britain in our classes."

"Well, Europe is pretty small in comparison to some regions of the world. The Americas, Africa, and Asia especially. We're also fairly isolated in terms of the Magical community, our policies are more old-fashioned, and there's bad blood between Britain and Africa. You'll find that most Wizarding communities are more open-minded than here."

"Then why don't Muggleborns go to other countries? Why would they stay here?"

"Harry, if I hadn't just've told you that, how would you know that there's more accepting Magical communities elsewhere? It's no accident that you know little of the outside world."

"But…then why don't we tell everyone? They should know, they should have a choice!"

Remus smiled at him. "I agree with you, but that's easier said than done. Don't worry overmuch about it. Do you want pudding?"

Harry seemed to think about it for a moment, before asking shyly, "Do you think they have treacle tart?"

"I'm sure they do."

An order of treacle tart and an order of lemon custard later, Harry and Remus were ready to enter muggle London to get Harry some new clothes. They stepped out onto the busy street and ducked into an alley to change. They removed their robes, and with a subtle sweep of Remus's wand, they were back to looking like themselves. Neither of them being very picky, they entered the first department store they came across, and went to the young men's section. Fortunately a kind salesman recognized the lost look on their faces, and came over to help.

"Getting all your shopping done for school, are you?" He asked them, shaking their hands.

"Er, yeah." Harry replied. The salesman grinned, realizing that he could actually make some commission today.

"So you're looking for a full wardrobe? Well we can do that easily, and fairly painlessly. Minimal trying on, I promise. My name's Theo, by the way. Now come along, the sooner we start, the sooner you can be finished."

Harry looked visibly relieved, and followed the young man compliantly.

Theo had him try on a few pairs of pants and a few shirts after taking his measurements. In short order he decided what sizes Harry would need, and he set off through the aisles to find everything he would need. He returned with a huge armload for Harry and Lupin to sort through, before going and getting more. After they had a mountain of clothes, Theo began extolling the virtues of everything he'd chosen.

"I've got you pretty much everything you could need for any occasion. Plain dress shirts and simple jumpers for school, t-shirts for relaxing, exercise clothes for sport, you do play sports don't you? You look rather agile, so I just assumed." Harry nodded. "Good, and there are some dressier options for dates, nice dinners, and holidays." Harry blushed a bit. "I stuck with traditional colors, fabrics, and patterns, nothing fussy. There's a lot of green, red, black, grey, and purple, all suitable colors that will look good on you. A few pairs of pajamas, shorts, jeans, khakis, trousers, jackets, and a nice blazer that will work with your black trousers as a suit. I also of course grabbed some underwear, socks, and basic undershirts." Harry and Remus both had rather overwhelmed expressions. "So, what do you like? I can find other options for anything you don't like, are there any other colors you'd prefer?"

"No, it's all good. Thanks, really, you didn't have to go through so much trouble." Harry told him, fingering a red t-shirt with a gold lightning bolt.

"Thank you, let's go ring all this up and then find you some shoes." Remus said with a brisk nod.

Theo was shocked, he hadn't expected them to take the lot. They didn't look like they had that kind of money…but looks were deceiving. Obviously this boy's father needed a wardrobe makeover as well. "Excellent, I'll get everything rung up for you!" He addressed Remus. "Sir, would you also like help selecting a wardrobe? It wouldn't do for the son to out dress his father, no?"

Remus laughed. "We're just here for him today, maybe another time."

"But, M…er, Dad, you really could use with some new clothes. Besides, it's only fair that you have to be tortured as well." Harry said with a cheeky grin.

Remus looked from the enthusiastic Theo to the pleading Harry. "Oh all right. Maybe a new shirt wouldn't go amiss."

* * *

><p>"And then! The little twerp gives me this big-eyed eyed look, and the sales assistant is all excited to have another person to torture, so don't blame me for the contents of these bags, or the recent drain in your account! I did <em>not<em> pick out that purple shirt! It was foisted upon me! What was I supposed to do?"

Remus had been trying to explain away the bags and bags of adult male clothing for five minutes now, and both Harry and Sirius were roaring in laughter. Sirius had barely said anything, and Remus was on the defensive. It was funny to watch, and the more they laughed, the more upset Remus got.

"Padfoot…wait…till you see…the wolf t-shirt…" Harry wheezed out, holding his sides. With a great guffaw, Sirius summoned his wand. Remus panickedly clutched one shopping bag in particular tightly.

"There's no wolf shirt! Harry, you're mistaken I put it back!" he said, and it was almost convincing. Too bad Sirius didn't care.

"Accio wolf t-shirt!"

And sure enough, a muted green t-shirt began fighting its way out of the bag. Remus gave a valiant fight, but he was trying to hide the other clothes, and hang on to the t-shirt, and he could not do both. It sailed into Sirius's outstretched hand, and he held it up so he could see it properly.

"It even has a full moon on it! I bloody love it! It's an awfully strong political statement for you Moony, but I'll support you through it. I'm surprised though, I wouldn't think you had the b—"

"Padfoot!" Remus said in a warning tone.

"Oh keep your hair on, he's going to be fourteen soon. It's nothing he hasn't heard from school, I'll bet."

Harry wisely kept his mouth shut and began magiking his new clothes away so they wouldn't draw him into their argument. He had learned pretty quickly that if he looked busy doing something important they would mostly leave him alone when they had a spat.

Fortunately for Harry's ears, something distracted Sirius from his argument. "What's with the bicycle?"

Harry blushed a little, and continued to hang his shirts.

"Oh, we stopped at a muggle shop and got it for Harry. An early birthday present, if you will."

Harry had never had a bicycle before. In fact, he hadn't the foggiest as to how to ride one, but he didn't tell Moony that. When he was little, and not as fast, he used to daydream about having a bicycle to ride away from Dudley and his gang on, for when they would go 'Harry Hunting'. He didn't exactly need it anymore, Dudley was now usually too scared of him to try anything, but he still felt privately elated that the beautiful dark red bike was his. With perhaps the exception of his school supplies, (he had no idea how galleons changed to pounds) it was the most expensive thing he owned. Harry had balked at the one hundred and fifty pound total, but Moony seemed to think nothing of it_. Hopefully learning to bike won't be too hard, it certainly doesn't _look_ hard_. Harry thought, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Sirius.

"That could be fun, why didn't you get ones for us?"

That seemed to bring Remus up short. "You know how to ride a bicycle?"

"Yeah, Lily taught me, don't you remember?"

_My mum taught him how to ride a bike?_

"Oh yes, I had forgotten about that. She was pretty mad at how quickly you picked it up."

Noting Harry's interested expression, Sirius turned to him, airily. "I had been a bit of a prat and Lily was trying to prove a point." He said, while Remus snorted loudly into the back of his hand.

"More like you had been the world's _biggest_ prat, Padfoot. I mean honestly, sometimes I think we subconsciously chose your Marauder name to indicate how often you put your foot in your mouth."

Sirius harrumphed, clearly offended. "What'd he do?" Harry asked, grinning.

"Sirius has always been mildly fascinated by muggles, you know, but he has little appreciation for muggle travel—" Sirius cleared his throat, "—_had_ little appreciation for muggle travel." Remus amended.

"I was once young and untested, an innocent in this world. Forgive me if I made a few errors along my way to enlightenment."

Remus gave him a disgusted look. "You insulted muggle cars and said something along the lines of 'If I was a squib I'd bloody kill myself before I'd get in one of those contraptions!' It was pretty understandable why she was upset, you know, being that her family was muggle."

"Sirius!" Harry admonished.

"What? I was sixteen! Bloody hell, you go to prison for murder and that's all fine and dandy, but make one little stupid remark as a teenager and it'll haunt you for years. I'm serious, Harry—"

"—I know you're Sirius, Sirius, no need to remind me. I'm not _that_ stupid."

At a loss for words, Sirius sputtered, "I-I—honestly! My own pun used against me!"

Remus sank down on one of the beds, overcome with laughter. Harry joined him, sniggering at the expression on Sirius's face. After many long-suffering sighs from Sirius, they finally collected themselves.

"Really, and you call me childish? _Anyway_, Harry, your mum thought she'd teach me a bit of a lesson by having me ride a bicycle, something nearly all muggle children can do with ease. Well, it backfired on her, and that is how I later came to own a flying motorbike. Which was perfectly legal no matter what anyone says."

"Sure, Padfoot. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

* * *

><p>Alright, I heavily apologize for the long LONG wait for a chapter. I'm busy with work and school, but I'm sure you don't really care. I didn't get to where I wanted to go with this chapter, as it was getting really long, and I think you'd like to just go ahead and have it, yes?<p>

Now if this seems a bit light on Sirius, you're right. Next chapter, more Sirius! And Serious!Sirius! And Harry's birthday! And the Quidditch World Cup!

Reviewers, please do tell me, do you prefer long chapters, or short? I personally prefer long, but long chapters are obviously going to take longer to get to you.

Still looking for a beta…hint hint…

Also I've updated the previous chapters just to correct some spelling/punctuation errors, I'm sure I'll be doing that to this one as well, so please if you spot anything, let me know…


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